2012 Competitions Annual

The economic downturn over the past few years has greatly affected
architects and is reflected in the almost complete lack of competitions for
real projects in the United States. Although we have seen no lack of ideas
in this country during this period, real projects have been few. This can
be seen at all government levels, but especially in the municipalities. So
it can come as no surprise that the majority of competitions for real
projects in this volume reflect not only the institutional commitment of
foreign nations to this process, but the dire economic straits in which US
governing bodies find themselves. All of this leaves us to wonder what the
immediate future will bring. The American economy is slowly recovering, but
probably not at a pace to plant the notion that a competition is the best
vehicle to arrive at a design for a major project. Architects who still
have time on their hands should be looking abroad for opportunities-at
least for the moment.