Buzz
An architect is a professional whose talents are most effectively utilized in a competitive setting. Over the years, numerous contests have been conducted globally to design some of the world's most significant structures. These designs are distinctive in various ways, whether associated with major events, sparking intense debates, or envisioned but never constructed. This list highlights 10 such designs, ranging from completed buildings to proposed projects and even those that were never intended to be built.
10. Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station, located in Melbourne, first saw its humble beginnings in 1854 with a collection of weatherboard train sheds known as Melbourne Terminus. To replace this temporary structure, an international design competition was organized in 1899, attracting 17 entries. Interestingly, the winning design did not come from a trained architect, but from two railway workers at the station. Their design, inspired by French Renaissance architecture, was named 'Green Light.'
9. Boston City Hall
In 1962, a national competition was held to design the new headquarters for the municipal government of Boston, attracting 256 different submissions. The winning design, created by three Columbia University professors, was centered on the concept of civic monumentality. While the building initially received praise and was even ranked as the 'sixth greatest building in American history,' it has long been disliked by the people of Boston, many of whom consider it a 'dark and unfriendly eyesore.'
8. Bird’s Nest
In 2001, even before being awarded the rights to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing boldly invited design submissions from around the world for a new National Stadium. A collaboration between Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, China Architecture Design and Research Group (CADG), and artist Ai Weiwei resulted in a design, alongside twelve other submissions. Of the final thirteen entries, the 'Bird's Nest' design triumphed, receiving unanimous approval from both a professional panel and the general public. By the time it opened in 2008, it became the centerpiece of the Olympic Games. However, post-Games, the stadium has struggled to maintain its purpose, failing to attract significant events, prompting its owners to consider converting it into a shopping and entertainment complex in the future.
7. Helsinki Central Railway Station
Helsinki Central Station, an iconic landmark of the city, was constructed in response to the increasing popularity of railways in the early 1900s. In 1904, Eliel Saarinen, the father of future US architect Eero Saarinen, submitted a winning design for a competition to build the station. His entry, a pure national romanticist design, was selected from 21 submissions. However, soon after, calls for a more modern approach led to heated debates, prompting Saarinen to abandon his romanticism in favor of a completely new design. The station's construction was completed in 1909, and it officially opened in 1919.
6. Vilnius Guggenheim Hermitage Museum
In 2011, Lithuania was set to be home to a one-of-a-kind museum. In 2008, three distinguished architects entered a global competition to design a Guggenheim in Vilnius: Massimiliano Fuksas, Daniel Libeskind (known for winning the World Trade Center rebuilding competition), and Zaha Hadid. The competition was fiercely contested, but British-born Iraqi architect and Pritzker Prize laureate Zaha Hadid emerged victorious with her concept of a 'mystical object hovering over a spindled artificial landscape strip.' However, on February 5th, 2011, the Guggenheim initiative was moved from Vilnius to Helsinki.
5. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
In 1949, just four years after the bombing of Hiroshima, a competition was held to design a memorial park for the city. Renowned architect and 1987 Pritzker Prize winner Kenzo Tange triumphed in the competition with his design, which envisioned the Peace Memorial Park as the 'spiritual core' of Hiroshima. Today, the park remains the most visited destination in the city for people from around the world.
4. White House
In 1791, when the visionary architect Pierre L’Enfant created his plans for the new capital of the United States, Washington D.C., the Presidential House was designated as the focal point of the design. A competition was held, receiving nine submissions, including an anonymous entry by the future third president, Thomas Jefferson. George Washington made a swift decision and gave Irish architect James Hoban the approval to proceed with his design. However, Washington was not entirely satisfied and made additional suggestions to ensure the house would be suitable for a U.S. president. Despite this, Washington never lived in the White House, as his term ended in 1799, and it was John Adams who became the first president to reside there in 1800.
3. Palace of Soviets
In 1922, the newly established Soviet Union decided to build a grand congress ‘palace’ to serve as the headquarters for its administration. In February 1931, an initial design contest was held, but it failed to produce any results. A highly publicized second round was launched on July 18th, 1931, attracting renowned architects such as Le Corbusier. However, the jury's conservative decision (which included Stalin as a member) led to outrage among avant-garde architects, and once again, no winner emerged. The contest was followed by two more rounds, with fifteen and then five design teams invited to submit. Finally, on May 10th, 1933, architect Boris Iofan’s neoclassical design was selected as the winner.
The Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior, which originally stood on the site, was demolished under Soviet orders, and construction began on the new foundation. However, when war broke out in 1941, work was abruptly halted and never resumed. In 1958, the foundations were repurposed into an open-air swimming pool, and in 2000, the full circle of history was completed when the Cathedral was reconstructed on the very same site.
2. World Trade Center
In 2002, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation released designs for the reconstruction of the World Trade Center. However, the designs were perceived as too timid and lacking in ambition, which drew negative reactions from the public. This led to an open competition for architects worldwide. Polish-born American architect Daniel Libeskind's design for the Freedom Tower won the contest. Similar to his Jewish Museum, Libeskind incorporated symbolic elements for emotional resonance. The building's height of 1,776 feet is a tribute to the year of American independence, and the spire atop the building is designed to resemble the raised arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty.
In 2003, another design competition was held for a memorial. This time, the winning proposal, titled Reflecting Absence, was submitted by architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker. Additionally, in 2006, British architects Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, alongside Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, designed three additional glass towers. These towers, which gradually decrease in height from the Freedom Tower, will encircle the memorial when completed.
1. Palace of Westminster
Originally built as the palace for the Kings of England in the 11th century, it became the seat of Parliament in the 13th century. After multiple fires, a Royal Commission was established to oversee its reconstruction. During a period when neoclassical design was popular, the commission ultimately decided to proceed with a more traditional Gothic design, sparking considerable public debate. The commission invited proposals from architects and received 97 submissions. The Gothic-style design by architect Charles Barry was selected and became what is now known as the Houses of Parliament.
