Competitions

The LFA has a tried-and-tested model of running architectural competitions. Our competitions are designed to find the best emerging architectural talent for your project. LFA competitions are well respected amongst the architectural community for their fairness, transparency and the diversity of the entrants and winners. But more than that, the right competition can provide you with a range of design solutions from which to choose. We will:

• Create an ambitious and inspiring brief to an agreed timeline
• Promote the competition to a wide festival audience through the Festival’s PR and media channels – helping both to generate interest in the competition and the specific area as part of a broader narrative. We pay particular attention to ensuring that competitions are open – and seen to be open – to underrepresented minorities and communities
• Use the tried-and-tested festival competition model – which ensures the competition is seen as fair, open and transparent. This also ensures the competition is well received by architects – avoiding negative publicity associated with some competitions.
• Carefully engage the community in either the brief or shortlisted entries (viz. our Thessaly Road competition in Wandsworth)
• Ensure that the shortlisted architects are briefed to engage the community at the appropriate stage
• Manage the submission of entries through the Festival website and submission process – reducing your administrative work.
• Leverage our extensive network of high-level contacts to put together an impressive judging panel
• Manage all aspects of establishing and running the judging panel
• Manage communications with both successful and unsuccessful entrants
• Promote the shortlisted entries to a wide trade and general media audience
• Promote the winning entry through our Festival PR and media channels.

Where an LFA competition is intended to be built for the LFA, we can, for some projects, provide limited project management assistance to oversee the build (depending on the scale and scope of the project this may involve additional cost) Build costs for installations vary and would be in addition, but can range from £5k – £15k for smaller simple installations (e.g. benches, parkletts) up to £50k+ for major pavilions.

Our recent competitions have included: Dulwich Pavilion (with Dulwich Picture Gallery), Sitting Pretty Benches (for Network Rail), River View (for City of London Corporation and Illuminated River), Thessaly Road (for Wandsworth Council), Tooley Street Triangle (for Team London Bridge), City Benches and St Paul’s Plinth (for Cheapside Business Alliance and City of London), City Parklets (for City of London)

For more information please email Rosa Rogina or call 0207 299 1280.