Proposing a reflective “floating garden” to counterpoint the existing absolutist castle, MVRDV has won the competition for the masterplan of the Ettlinger Tor area in Karlsruhe, Germany, taking joint-first place alongside Max Dudler Architekten. Inspired by the historical fabric of the city, the project imagines a new composition, blurring divisions, and bringing more greenery to the area.

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How do we define “home”? Although ideas about our homes are constantly being rethought, the careful examination of “home” has recently come to the attention of architects and nonarchitects alike. We’ve all had to confront our perspective of “home” as we have adapted workplaces, social gatherings, fitness routines, and everyday life in recent months. Not only do we now internalize a home, but we now look at how our homes can connect to the rest of the outside world.

For the past three years, The HOME Competition has challenged architects to rethink the “home”. Through the ages, architects have continuously investigated the role that homes play in our lives, like Peter Eisenman’s House VI or Kurokawa’s Nagakin Capsule Tower. Today, it may be more important than ever to consider the modern role that a “home” must play and the inherent connection that exists between a “home” and its residents.

Saratov, a Russian city on the Volga River, has launched an International Competition to determine the Best Integrated Spatial Development Concepts for the Development of the City Centre. Saratov is a city located in the southeastern European portion of Russia, a major cultural and economic centre of the Volga region. This open international competition will determine the best concept for integrated development of 5 sites in the central part of the city: the former Saratov-Tsentralny (Saratov-Central) Airport, the Park Pobedy (Victory Park) Memorial Complex on Sokolovaya Gora, Zeleny Island, Glebuchev Ovrag (Glebuchev Ravine) and the Pokrovskie Peski (Pokrovsky Sands) Island.

Amid the health and socioeconomic crisis caused by the coronavirus, we have seen how prolonged physical isolation can affect citizen behavior and generate uncertainty about returning to the streets—that is, to the city itself. The emergence of this pandemic has cast public space as the antagonist in a real-life drama, exposing us to potential contagion. However, public space is also a central part of the solution. As we navigate the daily recovery and reopening phases of our cities, we face the challenging task of ensuring that daily activities are conducted under safe protocols.

Innovative solutions for the new normal – sustainable, resilient and inclusive while physical distancing.

The objective of the first Greater Bay Area Urban Design Awards (GBA Urban Design Awards) is to elevate the overall urban design standard in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) through recognition of excellence in urban design related projects in the GBA and foster collaboration and exchange among urban designers, planners, architects, landscape architects, engineers, surveyors and other urban design professionals, companies and organisations in the GBA.

The aim of the open sketch design competition is to obtain high-quality, architecturally elaborate and economically justified solutions for the spatial development vision and the intent of construction of new buildings as part of Stage 1 in Riga, Latvia, at Daugavgrīvas iela 31 in the territory owned by SIA “DG31” by means of a creative rivalry, rational use of funds and free competition between participants.

This competition exists in an Alternate Reality. You make the rules in this realm. Does gravity exist? Do humans live on Earth? How far has technology advanced? You decide!

“Architecture and Urbanism Ideas Competition: New Civic and Citizen Space” is organized by the Municipality of Talca for the site currently occupied by the Talca Prison, which is scheduled to be relocated from the city center to a new facility in 2023.

This is an open, free, and entirely digital competition. Participation is open to individuals, independent professionals, work teams, and architecture and urban planning firms from Chile and abroad.

The typology of the architect's population is changing with a decrease in the average age of practitioners. Each year, hundreds of young laureates, mainly from national universities are joining the job market and the interest in architectural patrimony is perceptibly on the rise.

Registration for the Ideas and Practices Competition: City, Housing, and Health has been extended until August 3. Launched on July 1, the competition aims to promote Technical Assistance for Social Interest Housing (ATHIS) as a strategy to address Covid-19.

V!21 | WE HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DIGITAL CALL FOR PAPERS

We are happy to announce the 5th «Summer School Ticino», an annual week-long workshop in the late summer that brings together students from multiple disciplines. The program aims to investigate the real – to understand and integrate the many facets and realities of small-scale planning and spatial development into a comprehensive and coherent approach.

The American Institute of Steel Construction is on the lookout for creative visions of the future from up-and-coming architects. The third annual Forge Prize competition is now open for entries!

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Protocol, the Magazine for Architecture in Context of University of Arts, Berlin, has released an open call for the 12 edition.

This mapping of seminal sustainable ideas across knowledge domains (from architecture to fashion design to product design to manufacturing et al) to showcase the traction between Ecology and Design in India will be launched at the London Design Biennale in June 2021, and thereafter travel across India.

The Companion to Architectural Research (CAP) will examine the question: Why is research important in architecture?

What would you do with an old and empty building? Would you tear it down, leave it abandoned, or could you transform it into something new? Cities all around the world are wrestling with this very challenge. The question then becomes, what can architecture do about it?

Due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, Combo Competitions has decided to extend the deadline of Emotions, Architecture, Opioids by 4 weeks to make up for lost time owing to the pandemic, and to allow more time for participants to adjust to a new workflow. Submission deadline is now Sunday, September 6 (registration deadline August 30).

MAD Architects has revealed its design proposal for the Aquatic Centre for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Envisioning the sports facility as an urban public artwork, showcasing the beauty and hope of Paris, the proposal was created in collaboration with three French architectural studios, Jacques Rougerie Architecture, Atelier Phileas Architecture, and Apma Architecture.

The Journal of Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism is aimed at individuals and institutions interested in traditional building, architecture, and urbanism. Published articles address the theory and practice of these disciplines. Its objective is to promote the creation of places and buildings that harmonize with local culture and tradition while respecting the environment and its natural resources. Furthermore, it seeks to foster a deeper understanding of traditional construction cultures worldwide, thereby encouraging greater respect for them and contributing to their preservation and continuity.

Saratov is a city located in the southeastern European portion of Russia, and a major cultural and economic centre of the Volga region. This open international competition will determine the best concept for integrated development of 5 sites in the central part of the city: the former Saratov-Tsentralny (Saratov-Central) Airport, the Park Pobedy (Victory Park) Memorial Complex on Sokolovaya Gora, Zeleny Island, Glebuchev Ovrag (Glebuchev Ravine) and the Pokrovskie Peski (Pokrovsky Sands) Island.

The Committee for the Protection of Yerevan’s Heritage has organized an idea competition for the urban revitalization of the District 33 in Yerevan, Armenia, to find alternative approaches to this valuable historic urban area.

Silkmatters is a digital platform for all things Architecture and Design. We encourage creative freedom and open learning through Competitions and Awards.