A design competition or design contest is a
competition
Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, ind ...
in which an entity solicits design proposals from the public for a specified purpose.
Architecture
An
architectural design competition
An architectural design competition is a type of design competition in which an organization that intends on constructing a new building invites architects to submit design proposals. The winning design is usually chosen by an independent panel ...
solicits architects to submit design proposals for a building, bridge, or other structure. Such competitions may be ''open'', receiving bids internationally, domestically, or regionally. The competition may occur in a single stage, or involve two stages, the first of which eliminates non-viable candidates.
Famous early examples of design competitions were for the
Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. ...
in 448 BCE, and the dome of the
Florence Cathedral in 1418.
Coins and stamps
Coin and stamp design contests solicit designs to appear on the face of stamps and usually the
obverse of coins. In 1998, the
Royal Canadian Mint
}) is the mint of Canada and a Crown corporation, operating under the ''Royal Canadian Mint Act''. The shares of the Mint are held in trust for the Crown in right of Canada.
The Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactur ...
held the Millennium Coin Design Contest, a competition for the design of 24
quarters, one for each month of 1999 and 2000.
Monuments and sculptures
The design of artistic objects and monuments is a common subject in design competitions. A well-known example is the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial in
Washington D.C. designed by
Maya Lin.
Urban space
Urban and landscape projects may solicit design proposals in a competition. Among them are projects for urban parks, streetscapes, and rehabilitation of natural areas.
Government procurement
Specific rules are included in the EU's
Directive on Public Contracts for the conduct of a design contest organised as part of a procedure leading to the award of a public contract or a design contest with prizes or payments to participants.
Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC (Text with EEA relevance)
Title III, Chapter 2, ''Rules governing design contests'', adopted 26 February 2014, accessed 5 February 2021
Student design competition
A student design competition is a student competition to introduce students to real-world engineering practices and design.
References
{{Design
Design
Competition