Urban Shade Competition - Fort Lauderdale FREE ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION

Urban Shade Competition – Fort Lauderdale

BRIEF

Urban Shade Competition – Fort Lauderdale

The ‘urban shade’ competition provides opportunities for non-design and design professionals to submit inspired ideas about how to connect a new regional rail/bus station to the governmental center/museum/library hub across two long city blocks through a seamless, safe shade structure (the structure can cover the street section at crosswalks for example without blocking vision of drivers or bicyclists). In fact, proposals could include rerouting existing traffic to streets outside the two city blocks creating instead a city square combined with an urban shade structure. Bicyclists and pedestrians should feel safe to use the structure together and be free of vehicular traffic.

“Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization has long recognized the area around Broward Boulevard and Andrews Avenue as the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Mobility Hub. This hub has high development potential, frequent transit service and serves as a critical point for trip generation for all transportation modes (buses, trains, pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles). The Urban Shade Competition provides a unique opportunity to imagine the future of the area around this transportation center and help the local community envision the potential for safe, comfortable connections as the foundation for a successful and thriving urban center.” James Cromer, Strategic Initiatives Deputy Executive Director, MPO

South Florida pedestrian movement can be challenging, contending with automobiles, wide streets and setbacks with relatively little building or landscaped shade, relentless sun, sudden rain, and humidity. Too often, downtown development is homogeneous with architecture that lacks distinctive qualities or vernacular details, obscured entryways and little public art integrated into the sidewalk experience.

Competition entries should propose a ‘work of art,’ a compelling entryway to the downtown, recycling water, wind and sun at the surface to power lighting at night and interactive elements, attracting people to photograph and use the structure, becoming a part of Fort Lauderdale’s growing community and skyline. The design should encourage users to consider donating to the maintenance of the structure and to the city’s new homeless assistance program for those living on the street near the structure.

The finalists should draw inspiration from the history of the area of Fort Lauderdale and it’s cultural moniker, “Venice of America,” suggesting art and design that could invigorate this tourism destination with ‘urban street life livability.’ Competition ideas should be submitted by November 5, 2018.

A portion of this project was supported through a generous contribution by the Community Foundation of Broward.

SCHEDULE

Competition ideas should be submitted by November 5, 2018.

AWARDS

opportunities for competition winners and other competition entrants Grace Arts Center will make certain awards, to be determined and at our discretion, for winners and honorable mentions and will present to these winners a certificate of first, second or third winning award, or honorable mention status for their entries. Further, Grace Arts Center is actively seeking partners in the region and worldwide to support with donations in-kind and of cash to detail engineer and construct a model of at least the two first ranked winning entries or both categories, be it a singular object of street furniture or a suitable section of a pervasive design idea of a shade structure for the two city blocks.

FEES

FREE

Urban Shade Competition – Fort Lauderdale FREE ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION