ArchNec – Architecture of Necessity

The international competition Architecture of Necessity is a part of the project WOOD2022 that Virserum Konsthall arrange with the support from the Municipality of Hultsfred and the Regional Federation of Kalmar County. The international manifesto on the Architecture of Necessity was first launched in 2009. Earlier exhibitions in 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 have together received 600 entries from more than 40 countries.

The international manifesto on the Architecture of necessity was first formulated in 2009 by Claes Caldenby, professor of architectural theory and history at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, Fredrik von Platen, former assistant director-general at Boverket and Henrik Teleman, at that time the head of Virserum Konsthall.

The Architecture of Necessity encourages dialogues about the basic values of architecture. A humble questioning of the living and consumption patterns that developed during the last century, which intersects many traditional political barriers.

You can read the whole manifesto here. 

Invitation for 2022

Architecture of Necessity, an international triennial for sustainable community building, is held by Virserum Konsthall with the support of the Municipality of Hultsfred and the Regional Federation of Kalmar County. The call is now open!

What entries can be submitted?

Entries can be along the whole scale from installations and buildings to city or community planning projects. Submissions have to fall within the scope of the manifesto Architecture of Necessity. You can read the manifesto here. The international manifesto on the Architecture of Necessity was first launched in 2009. For the exhibitions in 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 more than 600 entries have been submitted from more than 40 countries.

Considering the pressing issues of today what could be called not only sustainable but “regenerative design” is searched for. The jury would also especially love to see entries that deal with the rural or “rurban” context – activation of neglected places as well as reactivation of forgotten places, both with transformation of existing buildings and with new typologies, for example combining living, work and “freespace”. Like many others we are looking for an architectural language, developed for smaller cities and places, integrating landscape, typology and details and materials. Entries could be unbuilt projects, but acknowledging the well-known “implementation deficit” in sustainable building we give a certain priority to built projects.

Desired applicants

Entries are accepted from professionally active individuals or legal persons such as architectural bureaus, building contractors, local governments or other entities. Students are not accepted. The submitted project must be dated between 2019 and 2022.

How should the entries be presented?

Entries should be presented mainly in drawings, diagrams, renderings and photos with a short text explaining how the five criterions of the Architecture of Necessity have been taken into consideration. The presentation should be on four A3 pages, landscape format, in one PDF document. Maximum file size 20 MB. The text should be in English in 12 p.

Every entry must be submitted only once, via email. This email should contain: Complete contact details of the participant (name, telephone number, mobile phone number, postal address and current email address). The project should be attached to the email as a single PDF document. Please submit entries to: arc @ virserumskonsthall.com

Participation

Entries should be submitted to Virserum Konsthall no later than 11th April 2022.  Successful participants are then required to supply high-resolution material as instructed by Virserum Konsthall. The jury will select three to five winners. Winners will be notified by 1st of June  2022.

Taking part in the first selection process is free of charge. Entrants who are chosen for the exhibition will be required to pay a EUR 250 + VAT service charge per chosen project. All chosen projects will be published in the book about the project Wood 2022 with a special part on the Architecture of Necessity. The service charge is invoiced and payable to Virserum Konsthall no later than 10th June 2022.

Publication

The winners will be announced 1st of June 2022. They will be reimbursed with 1200 €, plus travel expenses to Virserum, as well as accommodation for one person to take part in the opening of the exhibition and to speak about the project at the conference Architecture of Necessity on the 8th of September. The conference will be held at site in Virserum and live streamed.

Jury and Exhibition

The jury is responsible for the selection of entries and the winners. It is led by Claes Caldenby, professor of architectural theory and history at Chalmers university of technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. The other members are Nils Björling and Julia Fredriksson from Chalmers university of technology, Katy Chada and Ogmund Sørli from Pir II AS, Trondheim, and Marine Miroux and Leon Radeljć from ZRS Architects, Berlin. The exhibition will be held at Virserum Konsthall between 16th June and 4th December 2022.

For more information, please contact:

Carolina Jonsson, director 
+46 (0) 495-315 36
carolina.jonsson@ virserumskonsthall.com