An architectural style in any region is characterized by the features that make a building or other structure notable and historically identifiable. A style may include such elements as form, method of construction, building materials, and regional cultural character. Most architecture can be classified as a chronology of styles which changes over time reflecting changing fashions, lifestyles, beliefs and religions, or the emergence of new ideas, innovative technologies, or materials which make new styles feasible and possible.
Styles therefore emerge from the history of a society and are evident in the subject of architectural history. At any given time several styles may be fashionable, and when a style changes it usually does so gradually, as architects learn and adapt to new ideas. Styles often spread to other places, so that the style at its source continues to develop in new ways while other countries follow with their own twists, adding or omitting certain features in order to harmonize this new style with their local needs and culture.
European architecture has also been affected and shaped by many factors throughout its history. Major contemporary events such as two world wars, industrialization which lead to massive migration from farm lands to big cities where the factories were centralized . This lead to increased population in urban centers, Furthermore, foreign immigration and emergence of modern technologies have fundamentally affected the course of Evolution of European architecture.
This challenges among others, has caused the European architecture to transform. Today’s European architects have to deal with many dualities and sometimes even paradoxes when trying to design and build a unique new project, because they need to consider their cultural roots while building a modern project which should also be functional and suitable with their contemporary realities and needs.
Some of these challenges are taking into consideration the following dichotomies below.
• Diversity and Unity
Create unity in diversity, And also maintain the diversity and unique features and identities, in the unified continent
• Society and Responsiveness
The euro banknotes reveal a lot about architecture. Its depiction on both sides of the bills – typical buildings on the one side and bridges more exemplary for engineering feats on the other – is a testament to its importance. The bills also prove that this importance stems from architecture’s powers of providing identity: The bridges seem to connect Europe, as does its shared traditional language of architecture or the technological progress interacting with it. If it can define the identity of a whole continent, architecture quite obviously has a great influence on society. It does more than simply stand for itself. It also represents what we stand for. The wielding of such influence demands responsible behavior, and that goes for all aspects of architecture: the aesthetic, functional, social, financial, political and, today more than ever, the environmental aspects.
• Tradition Versus Modernism
the dialogue between old and new, traditionalism and Modernism. Moving forward and Progress is a necessity, because the needs and consciousness of any society are subject to constant change and transformation. Failing to react and respond means stagnation. However, the opposite of stagnation can be equally as harmful and dangerous. When a society accelerates so fast that it cuts off all historic ties and loses its cultural memory, it will also lose its identity. That is not progression, but regression. The idea that helps to avoid both of these is that of tradition. These problems concern the dual role of architecture and urban design in a special way with respect to aesthetic and social discipline. To that extent, tradition is of central importance to architecture. Innovation and identity in architecture are not possible without a responsible and keen approach to tradition. This is as true on the global stage as it is on the regional one.
• Innovation and Identity
Buildings and people have a common trait: an identity. At least, they should have one. A person lacking individual character isn’t necessarily a bad person. But he is uninspiring, lacking uniqueness and a dull conversation partner. Without an identity, no one can or wants to identify with him. More than likely, you wouldn’t even notice him in the first place. The same goes for buildings. A building lacking identity is a bad one, architecturally speaking, because it could just as well be a different one. A good building is always specific. It carries a message. This type of message can take various forms. Architecture can relate something about an individual person, a group, a city, or a country. It can tell a story about the relations between tradition and modernity, culture and nature, aesthetics, technology and function. Purely functional design overlooks the fact that it is part of architecture’s role to create identity. And this isn’t only about being distinctive. One of its noblest and most important tasks is to create an outward expression of identity.
Architecture is art applied to society; it is made for people, not for its own sake. In order to create an identity not just for the building itself, but also for the people around it or using it, two kinds of identity are necessary: People have to be able to identify the building as something special (by its distinctiveness). But they should also be able to identify with it and with its message. Identity creates dialogue, and dialogue creates identity.
• Urbanism
Politics, the economy and technology have removed many boundaries in recent decades, or made them more penetrable. Long before the advent of the internet, media theorist Marshall McLuhan coined the often-used term “global village”. But the days of the village have gone. Nowadays it is more appropriate to talk about the “urban globe”: the world population is growing at the same pace as that of the cities. In 2007, for the first time in history, more people lived in cities than in rural areas.
In terms of its population, the world is becoming bigger – and people are living closer together. The word ‘density’ is perhaps the most important keyword for understanding urbanism and its corollary: mobility. The two terms are closely interrelated. Traffic density, population density, density of development – all of these are increasing rapidly.
• Mobility
Thanks to modern transportation technology and logistics, today almost anyone can travel easily to almost any place on earth. Masses of people are on the move at any point in time and meet each other, in particular, at urban intersections: in railway stations and airports.
Today, mobility-related architecture is one of the most complicated building tasks there is. It has to combine the most diverse functions and coordinate a wide range of processes – and all that in a relatively small space and with maximum efficiency. Railway stations and airports link cities with each other and – with respect to their diversity and complexity, and even sometimes their dimension – are themselves comparable to cities. It is not enough to include aspects of security, safety, logistics, leisure, consumption, gastronomy, administration and technology in the design, to mention but a few.
Modern architecture or modernist architecture is a term applied to a group of styles of architecture which emerged in the first half of the 20th century and became dominant after World War II. It was based upon new technologies of construction.
Modern architecture emerged from revolutions in technology, engineering and building materials, and from a desire to break away from historical architectural styles and to invent something that was purely functional and new.
2A magazine and its vision for Europe Architecture Award is that a great European architectural project should take into consideration its roots and identity while at the same time use modern technologies, materials and designs in order to meet the dynamic needs of the contemporary era.
Jury Members:
– Santiago de Molina
Architect, Ph. D , Professor at San Pablo CEU University of Madrid
– Areti Markopoulou
Architect, Academic Director at IAAC
– Chitra. K. Vishwanath
Architect, Director of Biome Environment Solution
– Francisco Burgos
Architect, Partner Founder of “Burgos & Garrido Arquitetos Asciados”, Spain
– Benjamin Lborra Wicksteed
Architect, Partner founder of MESURA, Spain
Head of Organizing Committee & Director of 2ACAA 2019
Ahmad Zohadi
Hosted by:
Polytechnic University of Madrid in October 18th, 2019
Organized by:
2A Magazine
Categories for Completed Projects
For completed projects, the award will be presented in the following categories. All categories are open to practices of all sizes and there is no limit to the amount of categories you can enter, however one project cannot be entered in two different categories. Please see How to Enter for more details on entries.
1) Residential
2) Commercial
3) Public
4) Urban Projects, Rural Projects, Landscape
5) Old and New (Reuse and adaptation, Renovation, Restoration, Regeneration)
6) Interior Architecture
7) Future Projects/Innovative Designs
This category is a celebration of excellence design-only, future or uncompleted projects including entries of regional/ international competitions, that meet the following conditions. We will be looking to champion creation and concept that has pushed its specific typology forward and proven a holistic and effective approach. Also:
• The site of the project is located in ٍEurope, having rich ecological, cultural, historical or physical characteristics and features.
• Has Focused on responsive design, having addressed, challenged or responded to an architectural-related issue (physical, ecological, sociocultural, contextual, technical and..).
• It is based on local or regional studies.
• Introduces or represents an innovative design vision / approach.
The projects in this category will be divided in four subcategories:
A- Large-Scale Architecture
B- Medium-Scale Architecture
C- Small-Scale Architecture
Please note that:
• Future project category covers all eligible entries, regardless of the project program and subject.
• Except for the date of completion, this category covers and follows the same regulations and procedure for submission as built project categories.
Rules, Conditions and the procedure of the 2A Europe Architecture Award
• 2A Europe Architecture Award is a one-stage entry/ two-stage judging award.
• The First Stage Entry is open to all professional entrants, i.e., Individual architects, urban designers, urban planners, landscape architects, multi-professional teams and Architectural firms and offices.
• Other associated bodies, e.g., clients, developers, contractors, may also enter on behalf of the architect, with their consent.
• Join projects between universities and industry are eligible to participate in the competition.
• The Entries include two Sheets, introducing the project, in A3 size (Maximum 10 MB Each File of the Panel).
• The candidate projects of The First Stage Entry will be notified by email as well as will be announced in the 2A magazine website.
• The sheets of candidate projects will be printed out and the jury members will choose the winners of each category in a meeting held by 2A Magazine in Polytechnic University of Madrid.
• All projects should have been completed on or after 01 January 2010. For Future Projects/Innovative Design category entries, the design dates should not be older than 2010.
• Future project category covers all eligible entries, regardless of the project program and subject.
• All Projects should have been built /located in one of the European countries. As for Future project category, the site of the project must be located in Europe.
• Participants can submit multiple projects under one website account, and there is no limit on the number of submitted projects.
• Each project can be applied only to a single category of the Award. In another words, one project cannot be submitted under two different categories.
• Winner projects of the previous 2ACAA are not eligible to participate in the 2ACAA 2019.
Note: Further submission [of the projects] would be also available from the panel of participant, please click Submit Your Project at your own panel.
If you have any problem submitting your project to our website please contact us at: info@2aincorp.com
Vision
2A Europe Architecture Award 2019
2A Magazine is pleased to announce 2A Europe Architecture Award 2019, with the theme “Innovative Contextual Architecture in Europe”. Accordingly, the Award is for the recognition of an individual’s or group’s substantial contribution to today’s architecture in terms of contemporary challenges of the field and region and the projects that can have a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture. This gathering is a profile of the diversity of cultures, identities, themes, ideas, and experiences in architecture and a platform to share, explore and discuss in a professional environment.
The program includes:
• The Award Ceremony
• The exhibition of the candidate projects
• The selection of the “Innovative Project of the Year”
• The Interaction Forum
Criteria
The following criteria will be considered to recognize and honor a built project/ future project in Europe that has produced significant contributions to humanity and built environment.
• Design Achievement including Concept, Strategy and Proceedings.
• Technical advancement includes engineering achievements (structural, mechanical, etc.) and innovative use of materials.
• Reflection of sense of place and of cultural identity and ecology; environmental sustainability (including ecological, and sociocultural sustainability)
• Social responsibility and community and urban connectivity.
• The effects of economical condition on the project.
• Transcendent Dimensions of Architecture
Candidate Project
1) The projects that pass the first stage of scrutiny are regarded as “Candidate Project.”
Note 1: The project submission has to be done from May 15th to August 05th
Note 2: The consideration of the first step to select the qualified projects will be done by organizing committee.
2) The message of qualification of the candidate projects will be sent to you as the participants [via email] In 72 hours after their participation and asks to pay the candidate fee of 295 USD.
Note: Please send to us the receipt on the same place of the participant own panel or email to us.3) The list of candidates projects of 2ACAA 2019 will be declared at the website on August 05th,2019.
3) The list of candidates projects of 2ACAA 2019 will be declared at the website on August 05th, 2019.
4) All the candidate projects will be published in a special edition of 2A Magazine.
5) All the candidate projects will receive a qualification letter, representing that their project has been nominated by the organization of 2ACAA.
6) Architects of the Candidates projects are welcome to the award ceremony and interaction forum in Polytechnic University of Madrid.
Note: their invitation card will be sent to them maximum one month before the event.
7) one day exhibition of all the candidate projects will take place at Polytechnic University of Madrid, 18th October 2019.
Prizes
• The top two winners in each Award category will receive Gold and Silver medals and the award certificate (from 2A Magazine), respectively.
• The award sculpture will be given to the first places in all the categories.
• Upon Jury’s approving decision there might also be some special mentions in each category.
• The special mentions will receive certificates of recognition.
• All the candidate projects will be published in a special edition of 2A Magazine and extra pages will be allocated to the winners and special mentions.
• The winners of 2ACAA will be registered in the new facility of our website, “ Architectural Encyclopedia”, which is a platform for the introduction of the architects and their projects.
• Clients, developers and investors of the winner projects will receive a Letter of Appreciation. If winners send us the request for providing this letter.
Note: To receive the prizes and certificates, it’s mandatory to participate in the award ceremony.
Award Calendar
Submission:
Asia – Oceania: The entry opens on May 15th, 2019 and closes on June 30th, 2019 , 4.00 pm CET.
Jury meeting will be held in October 16th, 2019 and judgment of the printed panels at Polytechnic University of Madrid :
Award Ceremony:
October 18th, 2019
Exhibition of The Candidate Projects:
October 18th, 2019
Judgment
– First Stage of consideration: After the Entry Deadline, representation of the award organization award database and will rate the projects bsed on the judging criteria. The qualified projects will be chosen.
– Second Stage of Judgment: In a meeting held by 2A Magazine in Polytechnic University of Madrid, the winners will be selected.
Submission Fee
The 2ACAA entrance is free of charge.
The candidate projects will be charged 250 Euro to be considered for the next stage of judgment.
Note: This fee is to cover the costs of printing the presentation sheets, transferring the sheets to the location of the second stage of judgment, keeping the sheets until the exhibition of the candidate projects, publishing the candidate and winner projects in 2A Magazine, participation in the award ceremony and a plus-one.
Interaction Forum
2A Magazine Interaction Forum will take place alongside the award ceremony of the 2A Continental Architectural Award on October 18th, 2019
If you are interested in participation please contact us with sufficient info about your speech via email at
pr@2aincorp.com
Note: The introduction of the speakers and abstract of their lectures will be published in the 2A Magazine and its website.
Copyright Policy
By submitting your projects to the award website [www.2aincorp.com] you will give us (2A Magazine) the permission to publish and share your project in our website and display in the award ceremony, on the other hand, All the information at the projects submitted to 2ACAA have been provided by the competitors (Designer and Director) and they are the copyright holder in this regard.
If there is any miscount, mistake or lack of credits regarding the project team and designers, 2A Magazine has NO obligation and the issue concerns the participants directly.
Note: All the information submitted to the magazine have been provided by the competitors- participants or architect [designer], hence, the responsibility of the third part liability lies with the competitors.
Award Venue
Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura (ETSAM) Technical University of Madrid / Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM) Av. Juan de Herrera, 4
E- 28040 Madrid