New architecture and design competitions: Chicago Prize, AIA Film Challenge, Architecture at Zero, and a Bench in Venice

For our latest weekly curated picks of architecture and design competitions listed on Bustler, we have selected four new challenges calling for creative visions for the endangered State of Illinois Center/James R. Thompson Center in Chicago, innovative bench designs for installation in Venice, Italy, stories of transformative architecture projects told through the medium of film, and ideas for affordable and sustainable housing for farmworker families in Visalia, California.

For the complete directory of newly listed competitions click here.

2021 CHICAGO PRIZE: JAMES R. THOMPSON CENTER
Registration Deadline: Friday, Jul 2, 2021
Submission Deadline: Monday, Jul 19, 2021

"For the 2021 Chicago Prize, the Chicago Architecture Center and the Chicago Architectural Club call for new visions for the State of Illinois Center/James R. Thompson Center. Designed by Helmut Jahn, the State of Illinois Center, also known as James R. Thompson Center, is facing the threat of complete demolition. Located in the Chicago 'Loop,' it is a major transportation node, commercial center and workspace. The building has been criticized for being ugly, oversized, inefficient, and poorly maintained. However, the Thompson Center has been pivotal to urban transit and a highly democratic contemporary civic center. At the time of its construction in 1985, Helmut Jahn’s State of Illinois Center was a stark contrast to Chicago’s historic and modernist architecture, yet today it is an architectural icon in its own right."

Competition Open Call: A Bench in Venice
Register/Submit Deadline: Wednesday, Jul 7, 2021

"The National Pavilion United Arab Emirates at La Biennale di Venezia , led by co-curator Wael Al Awar in collaboration with the Curator’s Collective, launches an international open call for Design students to propose a bench design for installation in Venice during the summer of 2021. For the first time in the Biennale Architettura de Venezia’s 40-year history, national pavilion curators around the globe are working together to investigate new avenues for fulfilling the Biennale’s potential as a platform for synergistic, expansive, and accessible collaboration. Known as the Curators’ Collective (CC), over 50 participating national pavilions have joined in the ongoing dialog alongside the Biennale’s chief curator, Hashim Sarkis."

AIA Film Challenge 2021
Register/Submit Deadline: Monday, Aug 16, 2021

"Design has the power to solve some of the biggest issues facing cities today. We believe these stories are among the most important stories we can tell. The AIA Film Challenge is a film contest that amplifies the stories of architecture projects that are transforming communities through the power of design and collaboration. The AIA Film Challenge 2021 invites you to share stories of architects, civic leaders, and their communities working together to achieve a zero-carbon, resilient, healthy, just, and equitable built environment."

Architecture at Zero 2021-22
Register/Submit Deadline: Tuesday, Jan 11, 2022

"Architecture at Zero is a design competition for decarbonization, equity and resilience, open to students and professionals worldwide. It serves to engage the fields of architecture, design, engineering and planning in the pursuit of sustainable design. The 2021-22 competition challenges entrants to develop affordable housing for farmworker families in Visalia, California, one of the world’s most productive farming regions."

If you would like to contribute competitions, award programs, or calls for submissions that aren't listed on Bustler yet, send them directly to our team to review. We may include them in next week's roundup.

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