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European
Central Bank Competition
Introduction
The European Central Bank (ECB)
has launched an international urban planning and architectural
design competition for its new premises. The purpose of this
competition is to identify the best design concepts for the ECB´s
future home and to select an architect to carry out the detailed
planning work for the new premises and, if possible, to implement
the project.
The new premises are to be built
on the site of the Großmarkthalle (wholesale market) -
an area of 120,000 m? on the river in the eastern part of Frankfurt
am Main - which the ECB purchased from the City of Frankfurt
in March 2002. The site will be developed to accommodate 2,500
workplaces, with office space and special areas covering a main
usable area of approximately 100,000 m?, plus all the necessary
parking areas and technical facilities.
The competition is open to architects
from all over the world and the deadline for applications is
20 January 2003. An open call for candidature has been published
in the Official Journal of the European Communities and on the
ECB´s website. Interested architects should submit their
applications in accordance with the requirements set out in the
call for candidature. The competition will be organised as a
restricted projec competition in two phases following a pre-selection
of qualified applicants. Eighty architects from among the interested
applicants will be invited to participate in the first phase,
which will be to develop initial outline design concepts. These
design concepts must take into account the fact that the Großmarkthalle
is a listed building.
A jury composed of internationally
renowned architects and representatives of the City of Frankfurt
and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) will then short-list
12 candidates to be admitted to the second phase.
The 12 candidates who are admitted
to the second phase will be asked to present detailed architectural
design concepts for all the buildings. At the end of the second
phase, the jury will select three prizewinning designs. A total
of EUR 700,000 has been allocated to cover the fees of all 12
candidates participating in the second phase plus the prize money
for the three winning designs. It is expected that the jury will
make its decision, and thus prizes will be awarded, in the first
quarter of 2004.
Deadline for receipt of applications
for participation: 20 January 2003.
Further details on the website
at: http://www.new-ecb-premises.com
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