The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
By Joan Akello
CA’ASI, the Venetian entity of the French architectural practice AS. Architecture-Studio is launching an international architectural competition in October to highlight the creativity and originality of African architecture and help it gain worldwide recognition.
“This competition is a unique opportunity to underline the important role played by the African world today, as seen throughout its contemporary architecture,” Martin Robain, the first co-founder of the institution and chairman of the CA’ASI Architectural Art Association told a group of journalists from Uganda during a week long study tour in France on Sept.16.
Robain said such competitions provide an avenue of communication for people from the architectural circles of different countries and make dialogue possible between architecture and contemporary art by means of exhibitions, lectures and other cultural activities.
Amar Sabeh El Leil, one of the architects at the institution and a member of the jury said applicants must have a maximum of 15 years as an architect, be a citizen of an African country.
Applicants may participate as individuals, a group, or in collaboration with a practice; provided they are contractually committed to the practice’s project and submit a maximum of three projects on different themes.
Each applicant must have attained a diploma in architecture, engineering or Fine Arts.
An international jury will meet in Paris at the end of March next year to select winners and running projects that will be exhibited at the CA’ASI during the international Architecture Biennale slated to run from June 7 to Nov. 23 in Venice.
The best three winners will share a 10,000 Euro endowment.
In 2010, CA’ASI organized its first competition intended to award about a dozen of young Chinese architects and another one for Arabs last year dubbed the Young Arab Architects competition.
