VANCOUVER – The world’s leading architects have
lined up in a bid to create a new gateway and social heart
for UBC’s Vancouver campus. The competition’s
first phase calling for ‘Expressions of Interest’
closed on November 30 2004.
“The range and calibre of the entrants makes this competition
very exciting,” said Dennis Pavlich, UBC’s Vice-President
of External and Legal Affairs. “Several architects are
known worldwide for their excellence in design. Their varied
styles are rich, offering great potential for a winning submission
that will create an outstanding signature and memorable architecture
on UBC’s University Boulevard — the prime entry into
UBC’s academic core.”
Architects of international stature are among contenders,
many of whom have received prestigious awards and commendations
for their design work (A complete list of the teams that have
submitted Expressions of Interest can be found at www.universitytown.ubc.ca/archcomp/longlist.php.)
Linda Moore, UBC Associate Director, External Affairs, said,
“We have received an impressive range of submissions
from very talented and highly capable teams of architectural
firms from around the world. The majority of firms are clearly
distinguished and include recipients of Canada’s prestigious
RAIC Gold Medal in addition to the Pritzker Prize for Architecture
— widely regarded as one of the most coveted awards in the
world of architecture.”
British Columbia firms have been reaping the rewards of the
Architectural Institute of British Columbia’s policy
that requires all international and out-of-province competitors
to establish a joint venture with architects licensed to practice
in the Province. Multiple international suitors are teaming
up with B.C firms, which, according to Moore, is a highly
creative pairing of global architectural skills, and a significant
boon to the local architectural economy of B.C.
In total, 52 teams with firms from 16 countries submitted
expressions of interest, including Canada, the USA, Belgium,
Italy, Denmark, Austria, Spain, India, Germany, the United
Kingdom, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Japan,
and France.
The competition’s shortlist committee will now evaluate
the Expressions of Interest and prepare a short-list of approximately
six competitors. Beginning in January 2005 these firms will
go through an interview process and each team will be asked
to deliver a public lecture at UBC on their philosophy and
approach to architecture as reflected in a cursory review
of their work. Following this process, three finalists will
be chosen and the competition will officially enter Stage
2 in which the three teams will prepare three visions for
UBC’s University Boulevard. These designs will then
be evaluated by a jury, which includes a roster of internationally
recognised architects in association with university representatives.
Integral to UBC’s long-term vision is the creation
of a complete and sustainable community on campus called University
Town. UBC’s University Town will be an academically
and culturally rich collection of University neighbourhoods
supporting the academic core as the primary intellectual,
social and economic centre. University Boulevard is one of
nine distinct neighbourhoods within University Town, and is
the first mixed-use neighbourhood.
The University Boulevard International Architectural Competition
is the first architectural competition in Vancouver since
1991, when the Vancouver Public Library held a national design
competition, which was won by Moshe Safdie.
The University of British Columbia is a leading university
in Canada, one of the world’s finest academic and research
institutions, and is home to 40,000 undergraduate and graduate
students. UBC ranks consistently among the top 50 of the world’s
best universities.
For further information on the competition objectives, scope
and schedule, please visit: www.universitytown.ubc.ca/archcomp.
-30-
