Prague knows how to compete! IPR Prague publishes a guide for organizing architectural competitions.

The ‘Competitions pay off!’ guide is the newest of a series of publications to come from the IPR Prague workshop. Aided by illustrations by Terezie Unzeitigová, it details several types of competitions, focusing on architectural, urban and landscaping solutions. The guide describes the process of planning a competition from the first moment of inspiration to the eventual commencement of construction, and demonstrates how architecture competitions can be an effective tool for implementing planned developments.

“Architecture competitions still represent a great unknown in the Czech Republic. However, a well-organized competition can help to facilitate better architectonic solutions that are superior in quality and contribute to more than just the improved aesthetic quality of the city,” said First Deputy Mayor of Prague, Petr Hlaváček, describing the brochure.

IPR Prague has already organized or consulted on more than ten major competitions, including projects for developing the Smíchov area, the design for the new Prague street furniture, and the footbridge connecting Holešovice and Karlín.

“The ‘Competitions pay off!’ guide is the first published manual to address the correct organization of architecture competitions. Many commissioning bodies fumble in the dark during the commissioning process or when the conditions for competitions are formulated. This guide will make it easier for competition organizers and building departments, as well as for architects themselves. I am delighted that we helped publish this guide,” said the director of IPR Prague, Ondřej Boháč.

The guide is intended for any party involved in architecture competitions, including politicians, representatives of city governments, mayors, councillors, architects, building departments and other commissioning bodies involved in public procurement. It is aimed primarily at those directly involved in competitions as organizers, or at people seeking to gain more information about the competition process for their public procurement needs.

The ‘Competitions pay off!’ guide may be downloaded free of charge here (CZ only) or purchased in hardcopy at the PageFive bookshop at IPR Prague’s Center for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning.

Authors:

Ondřej Dušek / text and visual concept

Terezie Unzeitigová / illustrations

IPR Prague / typesetting + production

Jana Jebavá, Kristýna Bartoš / editors