As the old saying goes, “To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”The white and grey hues of the winter canvas, the fluffy cold snow, the misty fog, the naked trees and glistening icicles hanging off them are a magical masterpiece by nature itself. The puritanical quality and serenity of the winter landscape is so immersive and ethereal that it can have healing effects on one’s body and soul. The carnival-esque atmosphere during Christmas or Hanukkah, the beautifully decorated streetscape, the rumbling bonfires, the smell of mulled wine to people carving figurines/snowmen, sledding or casually skating on the sheath of ice are a sight to cherish and enjoy. Winter shouldn’t be an introverted time of the year. Rather, its beauty should be admired and celebrated by all of us.

One of the greatest living cities of the planet, London has had the biggest global influence on the socio-cultural landscape of the world. It’s a city that never stops or sleeps. London winters are a magical sight with a frozen Thames, snow capped monuments, decorated streetscapes filled with people and a fuzzy feeling around the city. Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in London, England, and one of the nine Royal Parks in the city.

The objective of this competition, Winter Pavilion London, is to create a multi-usage pavilion in the emblematic Hyde Park that can connect people, nature and architecture. The pavilion should celebrate and capture the essence of winter landscape by hosting different activities that would invigorate the zone.

With its privileged location, the objective of the pavilion is to become a cultural and leisure reference point for inhabitants and visitors of the city, a space that is integrated in the natural environment of the park and that is flexible enough to adapt to and promote wide variety of fun winter activities on a moderate scale.The pavilion should enhance the olfactory, tactile and visual experiences of the visitors. The pavilion space should have an immersive architectural quality that would let people reflect on the tangible and intangible components of a natural habitat. The pavilion should let people be one with nature and absorb the natural winter landscape through the artificial volume.

With its privileged location, the objective of the pavilion is to become a cultural and leisure reference point for inhabitants and visitors of the city, a space that is integrated in the natural environment of the park and that is flexible enough to adapt to and promote wide variety of fun winter activities on a moderate scale. The participants are free to designate any kind of function (or not) to their pavilion that would fit in their narrative. No specific function is mentioned in the briefs for the winter pavilion. The participants are free to designate any kind of primary function or activities as per their interpretation or narrative.

PRIZESPrizes worth EUR 2500 are up for claim with the distribution as follows:FIRST PRIZE: EUR 1200SECOND PRIZE: EUR 800THIRD PRIZE: EUR 500Apart from the winners, the jury will select ’10 Editors’ Choices’ who will be featured on our website and several other international magazines and websites across the world. The winners and Editors’ Choices will be provided with an honorary certificate.

REGISTRATION &TIMELINEThe competition is open to everyone in the world (architects, students, engineers etc.). You can participate individually or in a team. A team can have a maximum of three members only.Standard registration: - 1st September 2020 - 31st October 2020•For foreign nationals: 60 EUR + Taxes (per team)•For Indian nationals: 1800 INR + Taxes (per team)Late registration: - 1st November 2020 – 29th November 2020•For foreign nationals: 80 EUR + Taxes (per team)•For Indian nationals: 2100 INR + Taxes (per team)Submission deadline: 30th November 2020Result: 25th - 28th December 2020

DISCOUNTGroup discounts apply for a minimum of 5 teams from one particular architecture school/university as our initiative to promote more participation from students. Send us the following details at queries@switchcompetition.com to avail the offer.

More information at Switch Competition website.

Download the information related to this competition here.