Managing the performing paradox in architectural competitions

In architecture competitions are fascinating. Over the years, they have increasingly become a popular mechanism for architects in acquiring work and clients in looking for designers. Still they are a debated topic presenting several controversial issues. In fact, competitions, as architecture in general, are a fertile ground for contradictions and management oxymora struggling among opposing forces, such as artistic recognition and market constraints, individual passion and collective collaboration, creative spark and discipline. These are actually examples of paradoxes that architects confront regularly. In organizational terms, a paradox is a set of contradictory yet interrelated elements, logical in isolation but irrational when juxtaposed. Paradoxical tensions exist simultaneously and persist over time with no resolution, therefore attending competing tensions is critical for architectural practices. Through an inductive qualitative case based research, this paper explores why a performing paradox exists within architectural competitions, what tensions are experienced and how they are managed.