Event

Archetypes 2011 has finalists

The first round of the international architecture competition for urban public spaces, Archetypes 2011, has ended. Only 4 cities remained in the competition: Bistrița, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Iași. The prize-giving ceremony for the projects that qualified for the finals of the competition took place at the Archetypes 2011 Finalists' Gala on July 30 in Sibiu.

At the end of the first round of the international architectural competition for urban public space Arhetipuri 2011, a total of 121 projects were entered in the competition. The 50 best projects, developed by architects from 13 countries: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Moldova, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Moldova, Romania, the Netherlands, Serbia and Spain, were selected following an online pre-selection. From these, the jury selected 10 finalists and two special mentions.

"All the projects in the ARHETIPURI 2011 competition have responded with varying degrees of depth and architectural quality to the very generous theme of 'activating' the urban space. The fact that 121 teams admitted and proposed, through their projects, a better solution for an urban space is the first big win of this competition. The 50 projects shortlisted for phase 1 revealed architectural elements and usage scenarios with different reading codes. In choosing the 10+2 special mentions, the international jury had a delightful but difficult task. The complexity of the notion of "temporary pavilion" and the diversity of the sites led to a very interesting process of nuancing the selection criteria. Project by project, we looked for a relevant scale in the intensity of the concept (stated or cleverly disguised), the identification of magnetic propositions, the awareness of the impact that the pavilion has on the area of implantation, the quality of the architectural object proposed to be interactive), the possibility of construction and the ways of reuse," said Françoise Pamfil, Lecturer Doctor of Architecture at the University of Architecture and Urbanism "Ion Mincu" Bucharest, full member of the 2011 Archetypes jury.

The teams awarded at the Arhetipuri Finalists Gala have qualified for the second round of the competition. Only 4 out of the 13 cities entered were left in the competition. Finalist projects were chosen that valorize the sites of George Enescu Square and Calicilor Bridge (Bucharest), Poarta Lemnelor (Bistrița), Platoul Sălii Sporturilor (Cluj-Napoca), Râpa Galbena (Iași).

The sites were entered into the competition by local public authorities, with participating teams being given the opportunity to design a temporary pavilion on the sites according to sustainability principles. The winning project will be built with a budget of up to €100,000 and will be exhibited for 12 months in the space for which it was conceived.

"Sustainability is a big challenge for urban development, especially when we talk about Romanian cities. The projects showcased at the 2011 Archetypes Gala are projects that would certainly help us to build more beautiful, lively and brighter cities. We need an exercise of solidarity when it comes to the development of urban public space and I believe that 'Archetypes' gives us this wonderful chance to realize 'something' together for the future and for the generations to come", said Elena Baidan, Public Relations Support Manager, Raiffeisen Bank.

The second phase of the competition will conclude on September 3, 2011 in Bucharest, during an architectural conference that will feature speakers from the jury members and other high caliber architects recognized for promoting sustainable architecture.

Archetypes 2011 is an international architecture competition for urban public spaces in Romania, now in its second edition. The competition is aimed at students and professionals in architecture and related fields and is conceived as a partnership between local public administrations and private companies for the benefit of local communities.

Archetypes 2011 aims to improve the urban public space in Romania by activating spaces that have been ignored, abandoned or for which regenerative solutions have not yet been found.