Archinect - News

Fairy Tales 2020 winners explore real and fictional crises through creative storytelling

2020-04-09T01:17:00-04:00

The seventh edition of the popular 'Fairy Tales' competition just revealed its winning entries.

The dominating themes of this year's most gripping illustrated short stories seemed like ominous reflections of the spirit of this age: environmental collapse, existential crisis, violent realities, and prevailing uncertainty. Submitted from over 65 countries, the competition entries explored current and fictional events through creative storytelling and fascinating illustrations.

The jury, which consisted of seasoned architects, historians, authors, previous Fairy Tales winners, members of the media (including Archinect), and the organizers Blank Space, selected three prize winners and eleven honorable mentions.

1ST PLACE: "The Year Without a Winter" by Tamás Fischer and Carlotta Cominetti

From the winners: "We wrote our story thinking about the moment when the world has to stop and people have to change their habits to avoid the collapse and to protect themselves from an unfamiliar eve...

Calling All Storytellers: Blank Space Launches Seventh Annual Fairy Tales Competition

2019-10-08T19:33:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Blank Space.

For the last 6 years, the Fairy Tales competition has captured the imagination of designers and architects around the world. Last year's record breaking competition drew entries from over 60 countries, making the competition once again the largest annual architecture competition in the world. For the seventh year of the competition, Blank Space is proud to partner with ArchDaily, Archinect, and Bustler.

“Each year, we run the Fairy Tales competition — the stakes get higher and higher. Although the prompt has always been the same each year, the entries are more and more engaged with current events and the state of our planet,” says Blank Space founder Francesca Giuliani. “Some of the best entries we have received to the competition in previous years have been incredible stories of caution and warning. This year, we are looking for solutions instead of warnings. We know the issues plaguing our planet — now we are looking to you to solve the...

What will space exploration look like in the near future? The inaugural Outer Space competition winners propose their architectural visions

2019-09-17T00:00:00-04:00

Many of us have long been captivated by the fantastical sci-fi visions of space exploration from previous decades, but are these images still the best representation of our future in outer space? For the inaugural Outer Space competition organized by Blank Space (the creators of the popular Fairy Tales Architecture Competition), architects and designers from around the planet were challenged to envision what space exploration could look like within the next two centuries.

Through intricate stories and original artwork, entrants considered how today's scientific and technological advances can shape futuristic visions of space exploration in the near future. “What kinds of structures will be developed to move, house and sustain people? How will robotics, AI, autonomous spacecraft, and satellites enhance our reach?,” Blank Space writes.

The esteemed jury — which included astronaut Chris Hadfield, architect David Benjamin of The Living, Studio Drift, Chris Precht, and more — evaluated ...

Winners of this year's 2019 Fairy Tales competition use the power of storytelling to address issues on immigration, sustainability, and the future

2019-04-08T13:16:00-04:00

As architects and designers creating narrative through the built environment is what helps create discussion for awareness and change. Since its inception in 2013, the annual Fairy Tales competition challenges architects and designers to drive design innovation through the power of storytelling. Today Blank Space announces the winners of the sixth annual "Fairy Tales" competition. With submissions from over 65 countries, the award-winning entries explore current events and the creative process through wonderfully crafted shot stories and artwork. This year three prize winners were selected as well as 12 honorable mentions.

The competition jury consisted of more than 20 leading architects, designers, and storytellers including Moshe Safdie, Tatiana Bilbao, Jurgen Mayer, Julia Koerner, among many other distinguished judges.

Francesca Giuliani, co-founder of Blank Space shared her thoughts on this year's competition winners, "This year's winners utilize the power of narrative to expl...

Win Fairy Tales Architecture Competition Volumes 1-3!

2018-01-05T12:00:00-05:00

Over the last five years, the Fairy Tales Architecture Competition by Blank Space has surely made an impact, welcoming everyone from students to Pritzker Prize laureates to write their very own architecture-themed story. From the pragmatic and poignant to the fantastical and snarky, Fairy Tales Architecture Competition Volumes 1-3 lets you re-read your favorite tales or discover a story you might've missed the first time. In collaboration with Blank Space, Archinect is giving away five sets of Fairy Tales Architecture Competition Volumes 1-3 to our readers!

Designed by Bruce Mau Design, each volume revisits the 2014-16 competitions. Each paperback book features the winning entries and a delightful selection of notable submissions in full-color illustrations.

“A Thousand and One Nights” by Xinran Ma.

“Course of Empire” by Aidan Doyle and Sarah Wan (Wandoy Studio)

“Up Above” by Ariane Merle d’Aubigné & Jean Maleyrat

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

Want a chance to win Fairy Tales Architecture...

Driverless Future Challenge finalists envision autonomous transit solutions for NYC

2017-06-28T14:39:00-04:00

With the rise of autonomous transportation technology in the U.S., what implementable strategies can help a dense urban landscape like New York City prepare efficiently for a driverless future? Design teams from around the world proposed their ideas in the Driverless Future Challenge, organized by Blank Space (the creators of the Fairy Tales Architecture Competition) and the City of New York.

Participants from over 25 countries sent proposals that ranged from driverless food cards to using NYC's 311 system as a driverless dispatching center. Now, the jury has selected the four finalist teams.

Find each proposal below — plus project videos!

“Public Square” by FXFOWLE Architects with Sam Schwartz Engineering

“Public Square” by FXFOWLE Architects with Sam Schwartz Engineering. Image courtesy of Blank Space.

Project summary: “Public Square provides New York City an adaptable, responsive, and environmentally friendly way to rethink its streets and reclaim space for pedestrians. Public Squ...

DRIVERLESS FUTURE: A challenge to shape the impact of autonomous transportation

2017-02-23T17:33:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by Blank Space.

The Driverless Future challenge seeks proposals that actively shape NYC’s response to driverless technology - will offer resources to help finalists transform their proposals into real companies and products.

Blank Space is proud to announce the Driverless Future challenge, a global competition to shape the impact of autonomous transportation in NYC, with a prize purse worth over $60,000 for the 4 top teams. The focus of the challenge is not on the cars themselves, but everything else: from parking solutions, to mass transit, accessibility, shipping, logistics, software, services, and new uses of roadways, intersections, and sidewalks. The primary goal is to create a launchpad for entrepreneurs, innovators, designers, engineers, architects and futurists to enact real change in New York City.

Blank Space is proud to partner with the NYC Mayor’s Office, New Lab, Fast Company, and AIA New York to host the challenge and support winning entries b...

Recounting stories from the Fairy Tales Architecture Competition — 2017 winners to be revealed February 6!

2017-02-03T14:54:00-05:00

Storytelling has the magical ability to influence our perception of the world we live in, and such observations couldn't be more valuable in the field of architecture. The Fairy Tales Architecture Competition captured the imaginations of architects everywhere when Blank Space first launched the 2014 edition. Every year, architects, designers, artists and the like are invited to write and illustrate their very own architectural narrative.

The competition brings up both evergreen topics and timely issues that constantly press on the minds of architects, but the submissions themselves vastly differ from year to year. What kinds of stories will the 2017 edition tell?

The big winners announcement will happen at Washington D.C.'s National Building Museum on February 6 — so be on the lookout for the winning entries right here on Archinect and Bustler on Monday night!

In the meantime, here's a flashback to the winning entries in the previous Fairy Tales competitions.

2016

↓ 1st Prize: "Welcome t...

Last Call | Registration deadline for 2017 Fairy Tales Competition

2016-10-25T13:45:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Blank Space.

Next Wednesday, November 2nd, is the last day for regular registration in the Fairy Tales competition! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see where your imagination can take you. The beauty of Fairy Tales is that there are absolutely no constraints. We’re excited to see where you will take us.

All participants will be invited to the first annual Night of Fairy Tales event at the National Building Museum in Washington DC. Here you can take a peek into the greatest minds in architecture and design as we announce the winners of this year's Fairy Tale Competition. This night of whimsy will feature performances inspired by the winning entries all staged under the grand canopy of the NBM’s Great Hall.

Entries to this year's competition will be reviewed by a jury of 25 of the most influential architects and designers from around the world. The jury includes: Dan Wood, Jing Liu, Alan Maskin, Gro Bonesmo, Michel Rojkind, Marion Weiss, John Maeda, ...

Fairy Tales 2017: Blank Space launches fourth annual architecture storytelling competition

2016-09-07T03:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Blank Space.

After the record breaking success of last year’s competition which drew over 1,500 participants from 67 countries, Blank Space is excited to announce that the 2017 edition is open for registration. Now in its fourth year, Fairy Tales is the largest annual architectural competition in the world.

Blank Space is proud to partner with the National Building Museum and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) along with Archinect, Bustler, Archdaily, and DesignMilk. The competition will be capped with a special celebration at the National Building Museum in February 2017 for all winners, participants, jurors and VIPs.

Fairy Tales is open to all, and invites architects, designers, writers, artists, engineers, illustrators, students and creatives to submit their own unique architectural fairy tales. A successful entry crafts a text narrative, along with 5 images, in the most spectacular way possible.

“Every week or two we are approac...

Fairy Tales 2016 winners highlight real architectural issues through fictional storytelling

2016-03-23T13:48:00-04:00

Fantastical fiction and harsh reality aren't so far apart in the winning narratives of the 2016 Fairy Tales Architecture Competition. Living in a time when the inevitable future is constantly on everyone's mind, this year's stories beautifully visualize and perhaps forewarn of what possibly awaits. Created by Blank Space, the international contest invites architects, artists, writers and the creatively inclined to pen their own architectural fairy tale narrative.

Since Blank Space revealed their first set of winners in 2014, the competition's rapid growth can be worthy of its own story. The 2016 edition reeled in more than 1,500 entries from 67 countries — the largest pool of submissions in the competition's history by far. Plus, the level of creativity was as strong as ever, with poignant tales based on recent real-world incidents to thought-provoking critiques on architecture's current state — and future, of course.

Blank Space's "Fairy Tales: Volume 3"

This year's jury also included...

Submit your Fairy Tales 2016 entries by January 16!

2015-12-17T14:31:00-05:00

Here's one last little reminder that the Fairy Tales 2016 submission deadline is January 16, 2016! It still about a month away, but it'll be here in the blink of an eye. Now that it's the Late Registration period, the entry fee is $75.

First launched by Blank Space in 2014, the competition lets participants write their own architectural fairy tale narrative to explore and discuss real-world topics. The 2014 and 2015 editions were a wild success, reeling in hundreds of submissions from around the globe.

The 2016 jury includes a noteworthy list of individuals:

Hans Ulrich Obrist (CoDirector of the Serpentine Galleries)
Elizabeth Diller (Founding Partner of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)
Allison Arieff (Editorial Director of SPUR)
Bradford Shellhammer (Founder and CEO of Bezar)
Daniel Simon (Concept and Car Designer)
Dror Benshetrit (Founder of Dror)
Sylvia Lavin (Director of Critical Studies in Architecture at UCLA)
Cristina Goberna (CoFounder of Fake Industries, Architectural Agonism)
Aaron Betsky (...

Don't forget to register for the Fairy Tales 2016 competition!

2015-12-07T15:10:00-05:00

If you haven't already done so, sign up for the Fairy Tales 2016 competition now! Regular Registration ($55) ends this Wednesday, December 9. Once the Late Registration period starts, the entry fee goes up to $75. Submission deadline is January 16, 2016.

First launched by Blank Space in 2014, the competition lets participants worldwide write their own architectural fairy tale narrative to explore and discuss real-world topics.

The 2016 jury includes a notable list of individuals:

HansUlrich Obrist (CoDirector of the Serpentine Galleries)
Elizabeth Diller (Founding Partner of Diller Scofidio + Renfro)
Allison Arieff (Editorial Director of SPUR)
Bradford Shellhammer (Founder and CEO of Bezar)
Daniel Simon (Concept and Car Designer)
Dror Benshetrit (Founder of Dror)
Sylvia Lavin (Director of Critical Studies in Architecture at UCLA)
Cristina Goberna (CoFounder of Fake Industries, Architectural Agonism)
Aaron Betsky (Dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture)
Alexander Walter (Editor in...

The Fairy Tales 2016 competition is now open for registration!

2015-10-14T17:37:00-04:00

Brush up on those storytelling skills, the Fairy Tales Architecture Competition 2016 launches today! First started in 2014 by Blank Space, the competition invites the creatively inclined — architects, designers, writers, artists, engineers, illustrators, students, and the like — to pen their own architectural fairy tale. Entrants get to use fictional storytelling as a means to explore architectural possibilities and discuss real-world topics.

The last two competitions were wildly successful, with 2015 reeling in a record-breaking 2,000 stories from participants in 65 countries. Who knows what the 2016 edition will bring?

2015 1st prize winner: “Empty” by Zigeng Wang.

2014 1st prize winner: “Chapter Thirteen” by Kevin (Pang-Hsin) Wang and Nicholas O’Leary.

The scale, location, and program of the submission is up to each entrant. A successful entry crafts a text narrative, along with 5 images, in the most spectacular way possible.

Participants can register for a special early-bird discount...

How connected do architects still feel to the profession? More Dear Architecture letters explore that question

2015-09-23T18:02:00-04:00

While it's just as important to have serious discussions about the future of architecture, so is taking a hard, honest look at its present state. And if the letters from the recently concluded "Dear Architecture" competition indicate anything about how individual architects perceive the field right now, things are looking bleak.

Organized by Blank Space, the competition invited entrants to write an approximately 500-word letter addressed to Architecture, whether as a concept, a social practice, or a community. The 12 Honorable Mention entries, although written as seemingly fictional anecdotes, consistently expressed feelings of disconnection with architecture — topped with a melancholic tone that is just yearning for the better.

Read the 12 Honorable Mentions in their entirety (listed in no particular ranking):

1. Aditya Ghosh

"Dear Architecture,

It’s paper, exactly 9 inches wide and 15 inches high. It’s two dimensional, flat and featureless. A shade of white that is incapable of any ex...

"Dear Architecture" winners write fictional letters addressing real problems in the field

2015-09-16T13:05:00-04:00

We surely have loads to say about the architecture profession, but how would you compose all those thoughts into the good ol' classical form of a letter? The "Dear Architecture" ideas competition asked its participants just that.

Created by Blank Space, the same people who organized the Fairy Tales Architecture Competition, "Dear Architecture" entrants had to pen their own 500-word letter to architecture — whether as a concept, a social practice, or as a community — along with an illustration to supplement their letter's message.

Entrants from over 60 countries responded to the brief. Not too surprisingly, the letters got upfront and personal, if not a little bit heart-breaking.

The jury — which included Fernando Romero, Elena Manferdini, Hani Rashid, Natasha Jen, and Archinect and Bustler's very own Alexander Walter — selected three top-prize winners and 12 Honorable Mentions.

Read the top three letters in their entirety below.

1ST PRIZE ($1,500): Craig L. Wilkins, Ph.D., RA

"Dear Archit...

Two days left to kickstart the full-length comic zine of Fairy Tales 2nd-prize winner "Beautifully Banal"

2015-07-13T19:07:00-04:00

After winning second place in Blank Space's 2015 Fairy Tales Architecture Competition, University of Illinois at Chicago graduate students Alexander Culler and Danny Travis took things one step further to publish their submission, "Beautifully Banal", into a full-length architectural comic zine. The duo initiated a Kickstarter campaign earlier this month that received speedy support, reaching their $1,000 goal in just two days. Now with 52 hours to go, the campaign has garnered $3,578.

Culler and Travis set up the campaign in an effort to bring a light-hearted story that readers both within and outside of the architectural community can appreciate. Derived from the universal notion of finding one's place in the world, the three-part narrative follows Phineas the fly's journey through three major architectural programs: Residential, Commercial, and Industrial.

Readers encounter various architectural drawing conventions at different scales like plans, sections, axonometrics, elevations,...

Regular Registration for Dear Architecture ends June 24

2015-06-23T21:15:00-04:00

The Regular Registration period for the Dear Architecture competition is coming to a close tomorrow, June 24. Afterward, the current $40 fee will go up to $50 until the final deadline on July 24.

Presented by Blank Space — the creators of the successful Fairy Tales Architecture Competition — along with Archinect, our sister site Bustler, and ArchDaily, Dear Architecture invites participants worldwide to write their own 500-word letter to architecture — whether as a concept, a social practice, or as a community — along with an illustration to supplement their letter's message.

Through letter-writing, the competition hopes to initiate an open dialogue and valuable exchange of ideas about the role and responsibility of architecture in modern society.

Remember: The final registration + submission deadline is July 24.

The jury includes:

Beatrice Galilee: Associate Curator of Architecture and Design at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fernando Romero: Founder, FR-EE
Daniel Arsham & Alex Mustonen: ...

Articulate your feelings in the "Dear Architecture" competition. Register now!

2015-05-13T21:04:00-04:00

Needless to say, effective communication is vital in architecture, but how often do architects get the chance to elaborate their own thoughts and feelings on the discipline itself — in the form of a letter? Blank Space (the creators of the successful Fairy Tales Architecture Competition) along with Archinect, our sister site Bustler, and ArchDaily are presenting a new challenge: "Dear Architecture".

Dear Architecture invites participants worldwide to write their own 500-word letter to architecture — whether as a concept, a social practice, or as a community — along with an illustration to supplement their letter's message. Through letter-writing, the competition hopes to initiate an open dialogue and valuable exchange of ideas about the role and responsibility of architecture in modern society.

Register by May 27 to take advantage of the $30 early-bird special (Regular registration: $40; Late registration: $50). The final submission deadline is July 24.

As always, give this competition...