Urban Exchange: The Souk
Judging commences for RIBA Gulf Chapter Student Ideas competition for architecture students in the GCC.
The judging panel for a competition ‘Urban Exchange: The Souk’ has met to assess the entries to an ideas competition open to architecture students studying in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) or GCC nationals studying outside the GCC.
The competition was launched in April this year by the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Gulf Chapter. The results of the competition will be announced at a high profile ceremony on 21st October at a high profile ceremony at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi to coincide with the formal launch of the RIBA Gulf Chapter. The launch will be supported by the UKTI.
The competition brief asked students to explore new visions and develop design proposals for ‘the city’. It set the challenge of re-addressing the street culture and students were asked to choose a site in an urban context which they felt was in need of rejuvenation, and to come up with ideas and concepts representing a modern interpretation of the Souk.
The competition attracted interest from students from seven different UAE schools of architecture as well as students from the UAE studying in India and Spain. A total of 19 entries were received by the deadline.
Chaired by Peter Jackson, Architect Advisor to the HH Ruler’s Office in Sharjah, the jury panel met on Saturday 26th September at the British University in Dubai to assess the entries and identify a shortlist from the anonymous submissions. Together with Principal Judge Sir Michael Hopkins, the panel will meet again to select the prize winners from the five shortlisted designs. The panel also included Yasser Elsheshtawy of UAE University, Adil A. Al-Mumin of Kuwait University and George Katodrytis from the American University of Sharjah. Two representatives from RIBA Competitions observed the process.
The judges were pleased with the response to the competition and with the wide variety of responses to the brief. Schemes ranged from those which focused on the urban grain, to others which were more ‘building specific’. Students had clearly enjoyed the challenge of exploring different ideas and approaches to the challenge set in the brief.
All entries to the competition will be exhibited at the prizegiving ceremony and all competing students and their tutors will be invited to attend.