New Open Competition- Kielder Observatory

The Kielder Partnership, through their commissioning programme Art and Architecture at Kielder are developing a project to create a small observatory to be located in the hills surrounding Kielder Village in Northumberland.
Art and Architecture at Kielder has a proven track record of commissioning and delivering high-profile art and architectural projects including James Turrell’s Kielder Skyspace, Softroom’s Belvedere and Coombe and Kitchen’s Minotaur contemporary maze.
The Kielder Partnership is seeking imaginative responses to the brief that equally satisfy the practical and aspirational elements of this project and ultimately create a commission that will add to their portfolio of publicly accessible contemporary art and architecture in the landscape.
The observatory will take advantage of Kielder’s dark skies and lack of light pollution – users will include specialist and amateur astronomers, researchers and small school groups. The scheme must be fully accessible to all.
It is expected that once the competition phase is complete, the cost of realisation will be a maximum of £125k, excluding astronomical equipment.

Competition Structure
The competition will take the following format :
Stage 1 : Seeks concept designs (presented on a maximum of 2 A2 sheets) which will be judged anonymously. A shortlist of up to six will be selected and the authors invited to proceed to the next stage.
Stage 2 : Anonymity will be lifted and shortlisted designers invited for a site visit. Final assessment will involve further exploration of the stage 1 concept designs at an interview. The shortlisted schemes will also be reviewed by a technical panel and subject to a cost appraisal.

Competition Timetable
Brief available: from 10th June 2005
Question deadline: 5th July
Registration deadline: 9th August
Submission deadline: 16th August
Stage 1 assessments: mid-August to mid-September
Shortlist notified: mid-September
Site visit: 28th September
Stage 2 assessment/interviews: w/c 17th October (tbc)
Result: October
Project completion: October 2006

Judging Panel
The judging panel will include:
.. Peter Sharpe, Curator, Kielder Partnership
.. Sarah Wigglesworth, RIBA Architectural Adviser
.. Alex Maclennan, Forestry Commission
.. Gary Fildess, Astronomy Adviser
.. Matthew Jarratt/Rebecca Farley – Arts Council North East

Prize Money
The first prize winner will be awarded £5,000 and a total of £3,000 will be distributed amongst the remaining shortlisted designers.

Eligibility
The competition is open to architects, engineers, and professionals from related disciplines. Collaboration between these disciplines is actively encouraged. Artists are eligible so long as they can indicate appropriate technical back-up when required.Students are not eligible.

How to Register
To register and receive the competition brief send a cheque for £25.00 (including VAT), payable to RIBA Competitions.

Enquiries
All enquiries should be addressed to the competition organisers:
RIBA Competitions Office
6 Melbourne Street
Leeds LS2 7PS
T : 0113 2341335
F : 0113 2460744
E :
W : www.ribacompetitions.com

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14.06.2005