WAR CITIES – Utopian and Dystopian Visions , Ukraine

 

Non Architecture Competitions

 

Our world is changing fast, while ambitions and challenges match in importance. In this context, design can play a huge role. How do we imagine the world to be? What range of possibilities we haven’t discovered yet? What’s a Non Architecture for a World in crisis? In 2020 we started the second phase of competitions to address the issues of tomorrow.

 

In line with our style we propose 9+1 themes – ten critical topics to work on, but this time they come with a framework to make sure that each theme is explored from different design angles. Rather than a program, a research ecosystem composed of various competitions running in parallel and exploring the same theme from different perspectives.

 

Considering the current conflict situation due to the War between Russia and Ukraine, we are exceptionally launching the “WAR CITIES – Utopian and Dystopian Visions” Competition where all the profit will be donated to “Voices of Children in Ukraine”. This is our way to help in this urgent crisis. It might not be much, but we hope it will help, in a Non Architectural way.

 

The aim of the “WAR CITIES – Utopian and Dystopian Visions” competition is to develop one image that represents the built environment in a war scenario. The participants are asked to create one image that, going beyond the aesthetic, is able to sharply communicate a strong vision of a war scenario. To do so, designers are asked to envision two scenarios in the same image – half showing a dystopian future, where war is an everyday reality, and the other half a utopian vision, where the world is at constant peace.

 

Architectural representation plays a fundamental role in how a project is perceived by the audience. In order to enable the viewer to act as the intermediary between image and imagination, building and drawing, reality and representation, architectural representation should be more than a rigid drawing toward objective reality, but rather a multifaceted interpretative lens.

 

This competition is an opportunity to envision the impact of this crisis on the world. What a world that had never witnessed a war scenario would look like? What would be a world facing a perpetual war? How will the war impact the built environment? How will people live in public spaces? You only have one image to answer those questions.

 

By organizing this competition, Non Architecture aims to raise awareness of the current war events and to help refugees by donating the profits of this competition to an organization directly involved with the Ukrainian crisis.

 

Non Architecture Competitions are open to all human beings, from every age and cultural background, working in groups or individually. The registration fee is paid per team, regardless of how many members form it. Personal information of all the team members can be uploaded during the submission procedure of the final drawing.

 

The jury members are the following:

Alicia Marco, Mar Monfort and Eduardo Puertes – c·lab atelier

Barbara Stallone and Francisco Silva – Ex Figura

Bernat Ivars, Carlos Lopez, Didac Sendra, Juan Suay and Miguel Tomás – Quatre Caps

Patricia Mascarell and Daniel Vera – RAREA studio

Lloyd Martin

 

01 – 14 April – Early registration period (30 €).

15 – 21 April – Regular registration period (55 € 40 €). PRICE UPDATED!

22 – 28 April – Late registration period (70 €).

29 April – 05 May – Last-minute registration period (85 €).

01 May – Submission opens on our website.

05 May – 11.59 PM – Submission closes.

06 – 10 June – Winner’s announcement.

 

The timing always refers to Central European Time (CET)