by Jefferson Mao

Design competitions have long added an element of glamour and drama to the determination of the built environment around us. From the High Line to the 9/11 Memorial, such open-call challenges have led to big projects that captured the public imagination. There is a sense that design competitions allow for openness and freedom in a way that a traditional client-designer relationship does not. However, they can also very often become wasteful, winner-take-all affairs where the hard work of most of the entrants is squandered.