ABSTRACT

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book shows that competitions are inseparably linked to the production of the built environment as a social matter that affects almost everyone’s lives and well-being. It discusses competitions as architectural ‘creativity feasts’, and ‘blood-sucking beasts’ of the profession; as instigators of innovation, and obsolete mechanisms for the misuse of a profuse cultural and financial capital. The book demonstrates that competitions may also be crucial, if not for the survival of an architectural firm, but certainly for its development, either in the form of an initial career boost or in the form of a walking crutch in periods of recess. It provides sufficient room for the architect’s voice, both the theorist and practitioner, to be heard. The book attempts to identify potential avenues for the future development of the competition institution.