Architectural Competitions in Russia: A Second Birth and a New Professional Culture
Interest in architectural competitions is growing rapidly. According to analysts at the Agency for Strategic Development “CENTER,” 50 open architectural competitions were announced in Russia last year alone. Yet just 10–15 years ago, competition practice was in deep crisis. It had declined back in the 1980s, and in the 1990s industry competitions were not held at all. Today, they have become an effective working mechanism that brings dozens of new names to the forefront.
“It is a proven tool that delivers real value,” says Sergei Georgievskii, Co-founder of the Agency for Strategic Development “CENTER,” in an interview with Stroitelnaya Gazeta. The second birth of architectural competitions became the central topic of the conversation, prompted by the release of the magazine prodigest.
Prodigest is the country’s first publication to serve as a practical guide to organizing and participating in architectural competitions. The first issue of this magazine for architects and urbanists offers an in-depth look at competitions as an opportunity to develop and implement landmark projects. According to the head of “CENTER,” which acted as the analytical partner of the publication, the new magazine can become an important source of knowledge for young architectural firms that are still unsure how to approach professional competitions.
“Our magazine is a way to protect the very idea of competition and preserve the value of competition practice — something we once began to revive. The foundation has been laid: competitions are no longer an exotic format but a working instrument for transforming the urban environment,” notes Sergei Georgievskii.
In his conversation with Stroitelnaya Gazeta, the Agency’s co-founder also discussed what the “velvet revolution” has changed in the world of competitions and what future awaits the entire system of professional contests.
Read the full interview at the link: https://stroygaz.ru/publication/interview/barkhatnaya-revolyutsiya-arkhitekturnye-konkursy-perezhivayut-vtoroe-rozhdenie/