In January 2008, Storefront for Art and Architecture and Control Group launched an international competition to design a new White House. A 5 person jury convened at the WTC 7 building for nearly 10 hours on May 27th to select the winners of the White House Redux competition. Nearly 2000 registered for the competition to redesign the White House. Each participant was allowed to include up to 12 images with an optional animation. By the submission deadline in April, 450 entries with 55 animations were submitted. Animation work ranged from high concept video art to lectures on the meaning of the architecture of power.

Of the submissions that included a presidential figure in the presentations, most featured George Bush and were politically oriented. Only one submission included another candidate in silhouette, Barak Obama in an inspiring image- in an oratorical pose at the focal point of a giant architectural cone structure. There were nearly 5000 sheets posted in the 40,000 square foot space on the 47th floor of the World Trade Center 7 building, provided by Silverstein Properties. The density of the paperwork could be seen from the street. (See photos)

The Jury was an all star cast, including RISD President Elect John Maeda, the Columbia Dean of Architecture Mark Wigley, Elizabeth Diller of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Geoff Manaugh of Dwell and BLDGBlog, former Editorial Director at Surface Magazine, Laetitia Wolff and architecture historian Beatriz Colomina. The selection was scheduled to be finished by 6:00pm. The Jury got down to about 12 at that point and mulled over those for another 3 hours to finally reach a consensus. There was only natural light and the space is raw and dusty from construction.

The submission was open to the public and was translated into Japanese and Arabic. Submissions across 48 countries were received from designers, architectural studios, artists and professionals.

Key Facts

Jury
Beatriz Colomina (Architectural historian, New York)
Liz Diller (Diller Scofidio + Renfro, New York)
John Maeda (President Elect, Rhode Island School of Design RISD)
Geoff Manaugh (BLDGblog and Dwell magazine, San Francisco)
Mark Wigley (Dean of the Graduate School of Architecture, Columbia University, New York)
Laetitia Wolff (former Editorial director, Surface magazine, New York)

Prizes
The best competition entries from around the world will be exhibited in the Storefront Gallery (97 Kenmare Street New York, NY 10012) in September 2008, and in a special page on the gallery’s website.
The authors of the three best projects, as chosen by the jury, will be flown to New York and given three day’s free accommodation in The White House Hotel on the Bowery.
First Prize $5,000
Second Prize $3,000
Third Prize $1,500

Timeline
January 15, 2008 Competition launched
March 1, 2008 Online submissions accepted
April 20, 2008 Registration and submissions deadline
May 27, 2008 Jury selects winners
September, 2008 Exhibition and prize giving at Storefront for Art and Architecture
97 Kenmare Street New York, NY 10012
For more information about this competition please contact whitehouse@storefrontnews.org

About the Companies
- Storefront for Art and Architecture
Founded in 1982, Storefront for Art and Architecture is a nonprofit organization committed to the advancement of innovative positions in architecture, art and design. Our program of exhibitions, artists talks, film screenings, conferences and publications is intended to generate dialogue and collaboration across geographic, ideological and disciplinary boundaries. As a public forum for emerging voices, Storefront explores vital issues in art and architecture with the intent of increasing awareness of and interest in contemporary design.
- Control Group

At Control Group we provide technology services for designers, particularly architects. We’ve wanted to be involved in a design competition since we started the company almost 8 years ago.

In 2006, we started working with Storefront for Art and Architecture, an organization that we knew was recognized throughout the design community and beyond for their tireless dedication to the arts. Together, in 2007, we held our first competition featuring exemplary graduate and undergraduate work from the top design schools in the Northeastern United States. Control Group assembled all of the submissions and hosted an all star jury to select the winners. In August of 2007, Storefront hosted the Storefront / Control Group Student Design Awards.

Now in 2008, we’re excited to be working with Storefront again and thrilled that the White House Redux competition has been so well received. Again in September, we will work with Storefront to prepare a great exhibit and greet the winners.

About Us

Focusing on design computing, Control Group is a New York based consulting, outsourcing, and managed-services company. With just over 70 employees we have the right blend of consultants and engineers to maintain a personal experience while leveraging diverse expertise and a strong management structure. From business and systems analysis, to project planning and delivery, to training and ongoing support, we have a well developed solutions approach helping our customers bring to bear highly competitive systems to meet the demands of their business. Because we have a highly developed and standardized approach built on years of experience and economies of scale, we can drive down costs while helping our clients maximize the benefits of their investment in technology. Our integrated application and infrastructure teams allow us to rapidly deliver highly-efficient, performance-enabling solutions while reducing project delivery times, capital expense and operating costs. For more information, please visit www.controlgroup.com or contact
Press@ControlGroup.com.

About the Sponsors

- The Architect’s Newspaper
The Architect’s Newspaper emerged from the desire, expressed by most architects we know, for a publication that speaks directly to them. We hear, constantly, that architects feel underserved or underwhelmed by existing design publications. They want something that reflects their interests and practices. No rah-rah, no puffery. Just useful information.
Insightful, readable criticism. Diverse voices. Open dialogue. Combining timeliness with authority, The Architect’s Newspaper is the most comprehensive source of information on the latest projects and commissions, unfolding politics and debate, current events and cultural developments related to architecture, with an emphasis on the tri-state region. Up-front news is rounded out by a mix of topical essays, opinionated columns, project analyses, profiles, interviews, reviews of exhibitions and books, plus a complete calendar of important events and competitions.
Visit www.archpaper.com for more information.
- NRI
Founded 109 years ago, NRI, a leading New York-based digital imaging, document management and reprographics firm with 23 locations throughout the country, employs over 400 dedicated professionals servicing over 3,000 customers. The firm is a WBE, and in 1998 received a proclamation from Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for its success, accomplishments and contributions to New York over the past 100 years. NRI is one of the founding partners in the ReproMAX Network.ReproMAX is a network of more than 90 companies with over 300 worldwide locations dedicated to promoting excellence in advanced reprographics and imaging services for the enhancement of the architectural, engineering, construction, graphic design, retail, and legal professions.

Share this: