Take 5 °1 – BECOMING: 5 Architectural Competition-Winning Projects

ed. John O’Regan

introduction by Sandra O’Connell

ISBN 978 0948037 757     48pp (hb)     22.5x24.5cm     col illus

This book traces five competition-winning projects from their initial ‘pure’ idea to their various stages of realisation. The five landmark buildings, all in Ireland, all about to ‘become’, are testament to the fact that architecture and society need competitions to ensure the best outcome for quality buildings – set to become the architectural heritage of tomorrow. Featuring drawing, photos and essays, this book offers an intriguing perspective on the process of architecture. e

EXTRACT

"In recent decades, the public sector has shown particular leadership in procuring buildings through open architectural competitions. Reference is already being made to a ‘golden decade’ of landmark public buildings, which commenced with the sweeping glass façade of Bucholz McEvoy’s Fingal County Hall (a powerful metaphor for a new transparency of governance), produced the mesmerising Áras Chill Dara by Heneghan Peng Architects, and will see the completion of the new Wexford County Council headquarters by Nord Architecture.
          Becoming, the first exhibition in Dublin’s newest architectural gallery, darc space, traces the evolution of such competitions from the initial ‘pure’ idea to various stages of realisation. The nearly completed Wexford County Council Headquarters by Nord Architecture offers a fascinating perspective on this process, while the recently announced West Cork Arts Centre by Donaghy + Dimond Architects reveals how a concept evolves even within the relatively short time-span of the two-stage competition process. Becoming will also explore how Carr Cotter & Naessens’ new central library and cultural centre for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown has been developed in the lead-up to the planning process, and how core brief-requirements have found expression in plan and section. 
          Although competitions constitute a considerable investment of time and resources on behalf of an architectural practice – with no certainty for any financial return – they are the life-blood of the profession. Not only do they offer the possibility of a real project, they also provide architects with the impetus to constantly evolve their practice, embark on pioneering research, and try and test new technology. The promoters of the Bord Gáis Networks Services Centre placed sustainability at the heart of the competition, and Denis Byrne Architects are engaged in ongoing research for a low-energy building that humanises and civilises the environment of the corporate workplace. Research and innovation are central to the work of Heneghan Peng Architects. The Dublin-based practice brought international attention to Irish architecture when they emerged as the winners to design the Grand Museum of Egypt at Cairo. In Becoming they are represented by the competition-winning design for the Giant’s Causeway Visitors’ Centre – a compelling response to a complex and sensitive World Heritage Site.
          These five landmark buildings, which are about to ‘become’, are testament to the fact that architecture and society need competitions to ensure the continuum of built quality – set to become the architectural heritage of tomorrow. We need more exhibitions of competitions to allow a broader public to engage with the innovation and ideas inherent to the process. And we need more enlightened promoters, particularly in the private sector, who will become the champions of our built environment and allow, through an open and inclusive process, the next generation of architects to emerge."

— from the introduction by Sandra O’Connell