Call for submissions to Social Architecture: Open Political Spaces

Space Coordinator, in collaboration with Seoul Metropolitan City, Korea, is inviting young architects from around the world to submit short films for the young architect competition Social Architecture: Open Political Spaces.

Initiated by Space Coordinator in 2020 as part of Seoul Metropolitan City Architecture Promotion Program, Social Architecture has been exploring timely issues such as post-Covid-19 architecture (2020) and climate change (2021).

The underlying assumption here is that architecture can change politics. We hope to discuss and debate the possibilities of political spaces that reflect the contemporary, respond to today’s open society and affect political practices. Cheong Wa Dae, the former executive office and residence of the president of South Korea, having opened its gates to the public and the new National Assembly branch to be built in Sejong city, the de facto administrative capital of South Korea, political spaces have become the center of the nationwide attention in Korea. However, political spaces have seldom been a popular subject in architecture; perhaps because of their durability or similarity all around the world or for that they have changed so little over the centuries[1]. Reminding the presence and nature of political spaces, we hope this call will prompt architects to revisit and reinterpret existing architecture serving as stages for political actors and propose new scenarios from minimal interventions to visions for future cities.

The Call is opened to anyone with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture earned in or later than September, 2007. Winners are awarded a total of 15,000,000 KRW and the Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor Award. Also, on-and-offline events will be organized to introduce selected works.

About Space Coordinator
Founded in 2008 by Jang Yoongyoo, principal of Unsangdong Architects Cooperation, and professor at Kookmin University, Space Coordinator has been developing programs to support artists and architects. We believe in the potential of creative conflicts. As a platform, we bring together different ideas and perspectives to inspire interdisciplinary exchange.

Since 2020, it has been organizing Social Architecture, a young architect competition held in partnership with Seoul Metropolitan City. In 2022, it commenced a new Instagram-based architecture competition series Space Coordinator open to everyone including non-majors interested in the theme of each edition, which was this time Seoul. Selected works were presented in the exhibition it co-organized with Architecture Design Institution of Korea, Future Architecture, which took place in Total Museum, Seoul, inviting 10 architects from 5 countries.

Open call guidelines to be downloaded here.

Submission
Entries will be submitted to spacecoordinator.projects [​at​] gmail.com
Submission documents: original short film FHD, MP4, 16:9, application and diploma
Please download application here
Short films should be 5 minutes or less. 
*Selected works of previous editions of the open call here. 

Prize and benefits
All awarded projects will receive the Mayor of Seoul Metropolitan City Award and can be displayed online and offline architectural events.
–1st prize, 10,000,000 KRW (1 person/team)
–2nd prize, 3,000,000 KRW (1 person/team)
–3rd prize, 1,000,000 KRW (2 persons/teams)
–Honorable Mentions

Inquiries
spacecoordinator.projects [​at​] gmail.com or Instagram 

[1] Viktor Hildebrandt, 2017, Why Political Space Matters, 4CITIES, accessed 26 July 2022, https://www.4cities.eu/why-political-space-matters/