Spontaneous Architecture: The Olympics

The Olympics are many things to many people: the ultimate athletic test, an opportunity to brand a city on the world stage, a bringing together of nations, a platform on which national heros are made and around which national pride is rallied, one of the largest mega-events in our modern global society, and an incredible economic generator. In all these ways, the Olympics are about one thing: competition.

The XXI Olympic Winter Games was no different. 2,629 athletes from 82 countries converged in Vancouver for two weeks to compete. But the Olympics represent more than athletic competition and sportsmanship. Nations compete. Sponsors compete. For the chance to host the mega-event, cities compete. For the contracts to build, plan, and orchestrate the event, several independent firms compete. For tourism revenue, businesses compete. The Olympic event itself competes with the various news stories arguably worthy of more worldwide attention. Global competition is the legacy of the Olympic Games, and by and large the competition is economically motivated. Olympic gold is economic currency, and for nonathletes Olympic success holds the possibility of huge monetary payoffs.

Participants in March’s Spontaneous Architecture competition are invited to consider this legacy in the context of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. Submissions should consider the multiplicity of competitions played out at the Olympics and for what these players are competing, before, during, and after the games.

Submissions are single images, formatted in 8.5 inches by 11 inches (landscape), 300dpi tiffs. Images must be anonymous, containing no identication of their creators. Submissions may (but are not required to) include up to 100 words of text. All submissions are due by 11:59PM EST on 22 March 2010.

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