International competition for Scottish Architecture and Design Centre Edinburgh

Architectural Review, The, Feb, 1995

A major international design competition for the Scottish Architectural and Design Centre is being promoted by The City of Edinburgh District Council with sponsorship from The Architectural Review. It is open to all architects throughout the world who are licensed to practise in their country of residence. The competition will be run in two stages, with six of the first stage entrants selected by the jury to proceed to the second stage.

AIMS

A major multi-functional intervention is expected which will improve the quality of urban life in many ways.

The centre, which will be the generative focus of the development, will disseminate knowledge of architecture, environmental design and product, graphic and textile design. It will promote creative design and be responsive to community needs. And it will help to export Scotland's architectural and design skills.

Within Edinburgh, the Centre will act as a focal point and stimulus for the professional community, and as a key element in the programme of education to raise public awareness of the importance of architecture and design. In the United Kingdom, it will forge links with the planned network of Architecture Centres, acting as a central resource. It will also help to build links with other centres internationally.

PRIZES

All second stage entrants will receive [pounds]2500. In addition, the best four submissions will receive:

First [pounds]10 000 Second [pounds]8000 Third [pounds]6000 Fourth [pounds]4500

JURY

Kathleen Dalyell, Convenor

Giancarlo De Carlo, Architect and Urban Designer (Italy)

Jens Bernsen, Architect and Product Designer (Denmark)

Jean Dethier, Architect and Director of the Pompidou Centre (France)

Gordon Benson, Architect and winner of the Competition for the Museum of Scotland

Itsuko Hasegawa, Architect and Urban Designer (Japan)

Stewart Henderson, Architect and Director of Property Services, City of Edinburgh District Council

Peter Davey, Architect and Editor of The Architectural Review

The Jury will be assisted by a Technical Panel which will report on entries for conformity with the competition brief and conditions.

THE SITE

The Haymarket marks the western end of the great Neo-Classical nineteenth-century development of Edinburgh on the axis of princes Street, and though it has a busy local railway station, it has been run down for many years. One of the principal causes of blight has been the old Morrison Street railway goods yards to the south, which are now unused and have for many years been covered with landfill topped by a car park.

The fill is to be removed, so giving a dramatic opportunity of bringing the place back into the developing general conversation of Edinburgh urbanity. The new Conference Centre to the east and the growing financial district to the west make the Haymarket a key urban node.

THE BRIEF

Five elements are to be contained within the competition site:

The Scottish Architecture and Design Centre (SADC)

The Edinburgh IMAX

Commercial Office Development

Public Service Bus Stance

The Haymarket Plaza

The SADC will be a public building, open seven days a week from 10am to 9pm. Its principal activities will be the display of architecture and city planning through many media: exhibitions, lectures, workshops, seminars and so on. It will also house a major 25 000 volume library and information service (based on the City's extensive existing Architecture and Fine Art collection). As well as exhibition and library areas, the SADC will include a lecture theatre, meeting rooms, shops, workshop/studios, teaching areas and a cafe/bar.

The IMAX will have 300 seats and a flat screen 18 m high by 21 m wide. It will be a major attraction to the site.

The commercial office development (200 000 sq ft - 19 100 [m.sup.2]) will not rely on air conditioning and should be lettable in separate floors (opportunities here for new thinking on the nature of low energy offices). It can include retail units at ground floor.

The bus stance will cater for public road surface transport and link to the existing rail station.

The Haymarket Plaza is seen as a new urban space that will celebrate the Haymarket both as part of the incomparable, intricate pedestrian web of the city and as an important transport centre that will incorporate metro travel as well as existing public systems.

TIMETABLE

Last date for sale of conditions: 18 April

Submission of written questions by: mid April

Submission of first stage entries: 16 June

Exhibition: June-July

Judging: mid July

Notification of first stage result: mid July

Submission of second stage entries: mid October

Notification of result: early December

Detailed results in AR: January 1996

ENTRY SUBMISSIONS - FIRST STAGE

A maximum of 2 A1 drawings should be submitted, mounted horizontally on 5 mm 'Kappa' board or equivalent mounting, showing site plan (scale 1:500), plans, sections, elevations and perspectives. All boards must have eyelets in upper corners for hanging.

Computer generated drawings and photographs of models will be accepted. Models will not.

Submissions may be accompanied by a written report of a maximum of 500 words on A4 paper. No costings are required at Stage One. The report must contain a Schedule of Accommodation provided with areas given for all spaces, circulation areas, plant rooms and so on in square metres.