Throughout the 20th century professional architectural competitions were a constant source of debate and controversy among those in the discipline. They were used as pedagogical tools, as means for determining excellence, as a method for awarding commissions, as battlegrounds of opposing ambitions, and as political tools.Competitions can discover new talent, challenge contemporary ideas about architecture,

and involve the general public in a dialogue. As an institution within the practice of architecture, they are also capable of reflecting contemporary or predicting future trends. The most common types ofarchitectural design competitions are idea competitions and project competitions. Project competitions imply an intention and a commitment to build, whereas idea competitions are promoted as theoretical exercises in design intended primarily to promote discussion and attract awareness to a particular issue. An idea competition is most beneficial for dealing with problems with a broad social interest, exploring different ways of using a building material, bringing attention to the potentials of a site, or examining new approaches to a particular building form or type. Competitions can also be open, limited, or invited and conducted in one or two stages. Open competitions are used for selecting an architect or firm for a real project. They can be done in one or two stages, and the client retains the right to modify the winning design. In the case of a two-stage competition, the purpose of the first stage is to narrow the field, and the winner is selected in the second stage. The benefit of a two-stage process is the opportunity for the architect to engage the client in a dialogue, an option not usually available in an open competition. Disadvantages of the open competition process include the risk of choosing an inexperienced architect, the possibility of receiving far too many submissions for the jury to evaluate adequately, the expense borne by the individual firms or architects who participate, and the selection of a project that is not economically viable to build.

In the case of an invited or limited competition, a few architects or firms are commissioned to submit designs and customarily are paid an honorarium for their participation. This type of competition is often used when it is important for the sponsor to obtain a limited number of solutions from qualified competitors. Often, one of the first steps a sponsor takes in the competition process is the selection of a professional adviser to act as a competition consultant. The adviser, a qualified professional, is paid by the sponsor to advise on every aspect related to staging the competition. The professional adviser is expected to act as an impartial liaison between the client or sponsor and the competitors and to ensure that the competition is executed in a fair and equitable manner for both the client and the competitors. The adviser also assists the jury in their understanding of the competition program. In an effort to ensure an open and fair competition process, many countries have adopted competition regulations and guidelines. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) issued its “Guidelines for Architectural Design Competitions” in 1976 (a revision of its 1972 code, which required AIA approval and participation in competitions). The AIA document is divided into the following seven parts: General Advantages and Disadvantages of Competitions, Definitions and Classifications, General Principles for the Conduct of Competitions, The Role of the Professional Adviser and Other Details for the Conduct of Competitions, The Jury and Judging Guidelines, Costs and Time, and Suggested Form of Architectural Design Competition Program.