Israeli Lounge Design Competition

Israeli Lounge International Design Competition 1. Introduction An international competition is being held to obtain a design for the existing Israeli Lounge at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. This space is part of the living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The competition presents a unique opportunity to reshape and transform an historic space within a Memorial that is visited by millions from around the world annually. It is expected that the new design will highlight the potential and excitement of arts and cultural exchange creating a new image, mood, and artistic experience that showcases and celebrates today's Israeli culture in an innovative and interesting way. The new design shall be a celebration of Jewish culture, including philosophy, the arts, science, and religion; should include both historical and contemporary references; and should be an homage to the country of Israel. 2. Location The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (the "Kennedy Center"), located on seventeen acres overlooking the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., is America's living memorial to President Kennedy and his vision that the arts and cultural achievement should be an integral part of human experience. The Kennedy Center fulfils this vision and represents not only the dynamic core of Washington's cultural environment, but is America's showcase for the performing arts. It is the nation's busiest performing arts facility: each year the Kennedy Center's nine performance spaces host approximately 2,000 performances for audiences totaling nearly two million. Its diverse offerings include specially priced, low-cost, and free performances, making its programs available to everyone. In addition, more than a million visitors tour the Kennedy Center's public spaces each year, and an additional 20 million attend touring productions or tune in to Kennedy Center-related television or radio broadcasts. The Kennedy Center presents the greatest performers and performances of music, dance, and theater; supports artists in the creation of new work; and serves the nation as a leader in arts education. The Israeli Lounge The existing Israeli Lounge is located on the Box Tier level of the Concert Hall, in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and was a gift from the People of Israel. The Concert Hall is the home of the nationally recognized National Symphony Orchestra led by Maestro Gianandrea Noseda, and for concerts, and other performances, this Lounge serves as a space for patrons, donors, guests, and Kennedy Center staff to entertain and host people from around the globe to connect and reflect on an important part of the world. Originally designed by Raphael Blumefield, the space currently features painted ceiling panels by Shraga Weil and a wood wall sculpture by Nechemia Azaz. Photos and commemoratives of former music directors from the NSO adorn the walls of this lounge. Doors midway along the south end of the Lounge serve as sound separation from the activities in the lobbies and the Grand Foyer. There is an integral bar and associated kitchen and pantry. The Lounge space is 59 feet long by 20 feet wide and approximately 20' high. A floor plan and photographs of the Lounge are included on the design competition page on the Kennedy Center website. 3. Support Design and construction of the Lounge renovation are being supported by a generous gift from Mikhail Fridman and LetterOne, benefactors to the Kennedy Center. Additional information is available on the design competition page on Kennedy Center website. 4. Budget The project budget is $1 million. 5. Design Objective The new design shall be a celebration of the country of Israel and Jewish culture, including philosophy, the arts, science, and religion. It should include both historical and contemporary references. The design should take into account the multifunctional purpose of the lounge. During performance intermissions, the Lounge provides a space for Concert Hall patrons to congregate and refresh with snacks and drinks. At other times the space may be used for dinners and should accommodate up to 60 guests. Finally, the space will be available to individual groups and Kennedy Center staff for meetings and presentations. The design shall address all necessary physical infrastructure and include the entry doors and accommodate a maximum occupancy of 78 people. The kitchen and pantry were recently renovated and can be placed outside the scope of this project, unless a reconfiguration of these spaces is included in the concept design to meet the design objective. The lounge's location within a federal Presidential Memorial should be respected and the design should be in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and all other applicable regulations. Specific Design Criteria All designs must work within the existing Lounge footprint. While it may be possible to relocate or adjust the current ingress and egress, it will not be possible to completely move or remove existing walls. Designs should illustrate how the design can be accommodated within the existing space with minimal disruption to structural elements. If applicable, designs should illustrate security requirements and how such requirements can be accommodated. The design should clearly indicate how the concept will be executable within the budget scope while meeting user needs and all cultural factors stipulated above, while considering sustainability and life-cycle costs. 6. Competition Rules Eligibility The competition is open to all designers, artists, sculptors and architects. Competitors must be 18 years of age at the time of submission. A competitor may enter the competition as an individual ("Individual") or member of a collaboration ("Team"). Officers, members of the Board of Trustees, or employees of the Kennedy Center, their immediate families or others living in the same household and any professional interior or architectural design firms or contractors with which any of the above are affiliated are not eligible to compete. Technical advisors for the competition and the competition selection committee are also ineligible to compete. Registration To participate in the competition all Individuals and Teams must register by completing and submitting an appropriate Registration form, found on the design competition page on the Kennedy Center website. In the case of a Team, all members must register and be identified and a Team Leader must be designated for the purposes of communication. Only one registration is allowed per Individual or Team. An Individual may not be registered, in addition, as a member of a Team. No one may register as a member of more than one Team. In registering for the competition all competitors attest that they have read the competition rules and that they agree to be bound by them. Registrations must be sent by email to: MCTimaeus@Kennedy-Center.org. The subject line of the email must contain the following: REGISTRATION, Israeli Lounge International Design Competition. Registration must be filed no later than Friday, March 16, 2018, 12:00PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) (local time, Washington, DC). For more information and registration forms please see the following URL address http://www.kennedy-center.org/pages/israeli lounge. This announcement is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an Invitation for Bid (IFB), nor is it to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government does not intend to contract on the basis of this request or otherwise pay for any information solicited herein.