Architektūros projektų konkursai praeityje: istorija ar aktualios pamokos

Abstract

A competition of architectural projects means a contest of architectural ideas. Similary to others contests, it aims at as high results as possible. Therefore, it may be maintained that in the case of a successful competition all the players are the winners, including a designer and architecture, environment and society living in this environment. Through examination of the history of architectural competitions, we may envisage regularities, analyse both positive and negative experiences in order to improve the system and principles of future competitions. Even Ancient Greeks perceived that a project competition is a kind of a public concord agreement: it is known what is being constructed; attitudes of every description are introduced; a consolidated and often compromised opinion of professionals, representatives of society and persons making decisions is generated. The number of project competitions is directly proportional to the democratic processes taking place in society. The meaning of architectural competitions was different in various historical periods. But their existence or absence as well as their peculiarities are a kind of a catalyst of architecture and society in different periods.