
Editor's top pick
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 02.02.12
Clay Farm community centre, a Passivehaus contest in Sofia and the Northern Ireland Prison Service’s framework. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions
Latest Competitions
Contest launched for nature-inspired architecture
[Registration is to be completed by 1 July] Competition organisers D3 have launched an international ideas contest seeking architectural designs inspired by nature
Article 25 launches ideas contest for Haiti’s National Palace
[Expressions of interest must be received by 10 February] Architecture charity Article 25 has launched an ideas contest looking for proposals to replace Haiti’s earthquake-struck National Palace building
Passivhaus ideas contest, Bulgaria
[Registration should be completed by March 16] Students and professionals have been invited to submit proposals for a Passivhaus project near Sofia, Bulgaria
Northern Ireland Prison Service tenders architectural framework
[Requests to participate must be received by 22 February] The Northern Ireland Prison Service is on the hunt for architect-led design teams for its four year framework agreement
Clay Farm community centre, Cambridge
[Requests to participate must be received by 27 February] Cambridge City Council is looking for a design-led consultancy team for its Clay Farm community centre project
Aston University seeks architect for feasibility study
[Deadline for requests to participate is 12 March] Aston University is on the hunt for an architect to deliver a feasibility study for a £7.8 million project
Netherlands Architectural Institute launches biodiversity contest
[Submissions should be received by 29 February 2012] The Netherlands Architecture Institute and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs have launched an ideas competition focusing on biodiversity with a £30,000 prize fund
Brighton seeks proposals for city centre public realm
[PQQs should be returned by 29 February 2012] Brighton & Hove City Council is on the hunt for public realm schemes for Ann Street and Providence Place Gardens
Welsh NHS trust launches architectural framework
[Requests to participate must be received by 13 February 2012] The Velindre NHS Trust and Aneurin Bevan Health Board are searching for architects, quantity surveyors, CDM coordinators and engineers to take part in a four-year consultants’ framework in Wales
Welsh architects sought for Eisteddfod Architecture Pavilion
[Expressions of interest must be received by 30 January 2012] Welsh architects are sought to design an architectural pavilion for the 2012 Eisteddfod
Cambridge University seeks architects for new district
[Submissions must be received by 6 February] The University of Cambridge is seeking architectural and landscape design services for phase one of its north-west Cambridge masterplan
Badel Block redevelopment, Croatia
[Submissions must be received by 5 April 2012] The City of Zagreb in Croatia has launched an ideas competition to find proposals for the future of its Badel region
RIBA London launches Royal Docks bench design contest
[Submissions must be received by 30 January 2012] RIBA London is on the hunt for bench designs to feature at the Royal Docks in east London as part of this year’s London Festival of Architecture
RIAI launches school design contest
[Submissions should be received by 20 March] The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has launched a contest to design a ‘post primary’ school in west Dublin
Slovenian national library design contest launched
[Submissions must be received by 23 March] Slovenia’s Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning has launched an international design competition for a new national and university library in Ljubljana city centre
British Council seeks Venice Biennale architectural explorers
[Proposals must be submitted by 10am 28 February] The British Council has revealed its brief for architects wanting to take part in the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale this summer
Output launches £2,500 student award
[Submissions must be received by 15 February 2012] The Output Foundation has launched a competition for student projects with a top prize of £2,500
Architects sought for East Midlands housing framework
[Requests to participate must be received by 13 February 2012] The Efficiency East Midlands consortium is seeking architectural services as part of a four year contract
Design contest for Helsinki Central Library launched
[Registration must be completed by 30 March 2012] The city of Helsinki has launched an international competition to design the city’s new central library
Architects sought for Tara Arts Theatre refurbishment, London
[Requests to participate should be received by 8 February 2012] The Tara Arts Theatre is seeking design teams to design and manage the restoration of their theatre in south London
The AJ Buildings Library
Design inspiration for your competition entry in the AJ Buildings Library
See images, drawings and data for more than 1,000 projects in the AJ Buildings Library
Recent wins
Haptic team wins Riga airport contest
London-based Haptic Architects, with Oslo architects Narud Stokke Wiig, have won the international contest to design the new airBaltic terminal in Riga, Latvia
Stanton Williams named joint winner in Museum of Concrete Art contest
Stanton Williams has come joint first in the high-profile, international contest to create a new home for the Museum of Concrete Art and Design in Ingolstadt, southern Germany
Diller Scofidio + Renfro beats Foster to win contentious Aberdeen contest
A team-led by US practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) has beaten Foster + Partners to win the controversial contest to transform Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen
FCBS in for MUMA on Bath Centre for Arts project
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios has won the latest contest to design the new £10.75 million Centre for the Arts at the University of Bath
AJ exclusive: Jestico + Whiles wins Doha College contest
Jestico + Whiles has scooped the competition to design the new Doha College in Qatar
AJ exclusive: Heneghan Peng wins Palestinian Museum contest
The AJ can reveal that Heneghan Peng has been appointed to design the Palestinian Museum, near Ramallah on the West Bank
David Kohn's South Bank holiday home lifted into place
[FIRST LOOK] David Kohn Architects and Fiona Banner’s ship-like Room for London mini-hotel has been installed in its temporary home on top of the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Foster beats Rogers to win Spanish rail terminal contest
Foster + Partners has seen off an impressive shortlist, which included Brits Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and AZPA, to win the contest to redevelop Orense train station in Spain
Erect and Make win post-Olympic parks contests
The winners of two competitions to design new parks on the Olympic site after the 2012 Games have been revealed by the Olympic Park Legacy Company
Student competitions
Norman Foster travel prize opens for entries
The RIBA has launched the 2012 Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship award, open to students of all RIBA-accredited architecture schools in the UK and abroad






