Vitreosity

Major Commission Awarded via Student Contest

via design observer -

Article in the Washington Post called 'Students' Crowning Glory - Two Catholic University Freshmen Win Contest to Adorn D.C. Basilica's Dome'.

It seems to me that with a 100 foot mosaic dome plus 36 stained glass windows, it's a pretty massive commission to entrust to a University student competition. Committees and student contests? Am I missing part of the story? Is this more like a sideline student contest where the winner was never intended to be the final design? The text does state that "Although the basilica is free to change their proposal or commission another one, the contest represents the first step toward completing the church's largest dome". What does that mean? I guess it's the headline that makes it seem like these students have gotten the commission.

The First Place design is at least the best of the group shown in the picture gallery -
from the Photo Gallery

A nice, if conventional, design.

The Second Place design looks like a student design, especially on closer examination. There's a rushed, slapdash quality about it, perhaps not surprising considering the time pressure.
from the Photo Gallery

Notice the figures along the arch. This is pure cut and paste photoshop work. Is the intention really to make them all rubber-stamp identical? Or are we supposed to assume there will be some differentiation if this were the final design.

Now look at the figure on the right. It's the mosaic design of Jesus from the Hagia Sofia just sort of arbitrarily stuck in. Somehow I don't see this as any kind of conscious and sophisticated postmodern mashup (though I grant that it could be seen as an unconsciously sophisticated postmodern mashup). I suspect it was just quicker and easier to grab an old mosaic Jesus and pop it in there.

Hagia Sophia mosaic Jesus

Maybe these are meant as rough, general sketches that will be fleshed out later. Or maybe the article is making more of the contest than it was intended to be. In any case, it seems an odd way to design the artwork for a major building project, and an odd way to promote the design process. Let's hope there is more to the story.

Posted by Tom at March 30, 2009 10:38 PM