RIBA Forgotten Spaces Competition

RIBA have teamed up with Design for London and the Qatari Diar to put forward a competition called Forgotten Spaces…..Forgotten Spaces asks architects, artists, engineers and landscape designers living and working in Greater London to nominate an existing local site, build a case for what the community really needs and propose ideas for how this could be translated into a conceptual design scheme.In most cases it is the people living and working locally who are best placed to pinpoint hidden sites and who can also outline the needs of the neighbouring area.The ‘forgotten space’ could be small or large – a grassy verge, a wasteland, an unused car park, a derelict building or an underpass or a fl yover. The proposal could be simple or complex, commercial or public, a piece of public art or a new building; the only requirement is that it answers a need in the area and serves a function for the local community.The proposals will not be constructed; however the best designs will be exhibited in a public exhibition at the National Theatre on London’s Southbank (25 May – 4 July 2010).Three top prizes and up to five commendations will be awarded to the best schemes.1st Prize: £5,000; 2nd Prize: £2,000; 3rd Prize: £1,000Although the proposal will not be built through this competition, the idaes generated could form the basis of a proposal to other sources of funding?Mend is interested in helping put together a community led proposal – that means local people, organisations, business….anyone, putting forward ideas for a space we can use? Then we can start an open process of deciding what we want from that space and coming up with idea for making it happen.Please get in touch if you want to get involved and lets nail it!liane.hartley@mendlondon.org.uk or 07590 491360 or @lianemendsacity