1.    GENERAL
The ALEXANDER S.ONASSIS PUBLIC BENEFIT FOUNDATION launches a European architectural competition for the re-constitution of Athens city centre along the axis of Panepistimiou str., and invites all interested candidates fulfilling the eligibility criteria to register by completing the registration form annexed in the respective section of the competition site mentioned below.

The Organizer’s contact information is as follows:
Address:           56, Amalias Street, Athens, Greece
Postal Code:     105 58
Telephone:        +30 210 3713000
Fax:                   +30 210 3713013
E-mail:              contact@onassis.gr   
Competition website (for downloading the competition folder, the circulars and for submitting requests for additional information):  www.rethinkathenscompetition.org

2.    PURPOSE OF COMPETITION
Purpose of the Competition is the selection of the Architect (Person or legal entity), that will undertake the design of the architectural public space for the creation of a New City Center in Athens along the axis of Panepistimiou Street. The objectives for the city center re-constitution, extending from Amalias Ave to Patission Ave, are the transformation of  the city center into a destination for the public  instead of a traffic area for motor vehicles, the functional, aesthetic and environmental upgrade of  the city center, the re-enhancement  of commercial, administrative and financial activities in the city,the repopulation of  the city center, the highlighting of the historical and cultural identity  of the capital, the improvement of quality of life for all citizens.

3.    TYPE OF COMPETITION
The Competition is a two-stage competition, of a single design category namely the architectural, with technical supporting studies. In the first stage of the Competition (Ideas Competition), the First Stage Jury will select three (3) to eight (8) proposals, whose designers will qualify for the second stage (Concept Drawings Competition). In the second stage of the Competition (Concept Drawings Competition), the candidates selected during the first stage will be invited to re-submit their design proposals. From among these new proposals, the Second Stage Jury will select up to three (3) designs that will receive prizes.

4.    TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
Eligible to enter the first stage of the Competition (Ideas Competition) will be persons or legal entities:
(a) who are legally licensed to practice the professional activities of an Architect Engineer either in Greece or in any other state pursuant to Article 14 para.5,6,7, Law 3316/05
(b) who are not subject to any of the disqualification cases of Article 16, Law 3316/05

Eligible to enter the second stage of the Competition (Concept Drawings Competition) will be persons or legal entities:
(a) who have participated in the first stage of the Competition,
(b) who have been selected by the Jury of the first stage of the Competition to proceed to the second stage of the Competition
(c) who are not subject to any of the disqualification cases of Article 16, Law 3316/05

5.    JURIES AND COMMITTEES
For the assessment of the proposals submitted, the Organizer will set up two (2) different Juries, one for each stage of the Competition. Juries will consist each of nine members. Also, in order to ensure compliance with the Competition procedures, the Organizer will set up a five-member Competition Procedures Committee which will oversee the registration procedure, the anonymity procedures and the processing of the participants’ questions in the competition website.

6.    DESIGN EVALUATION CRITERIA
For the assessment of the proposals submitted the Juries will take into consideration as a  minimum the following evaluation criteria:
•    the visionary dimension of the architectural public space design;
•    the visibility of the proposed public space design, including the highlighting of the monuments and cultural features of the intervention area;
•    the functionality of the public space design, for the purposes of serving more effectively its anticipated uses by the citizens, for traffic etc;
•    the sustainability of the proposed public space design, including the environmental nature of the design and its contribution to climatic change;
•    the ease of construction and the overall economy of project construction and maintenance, including the project’s ability to withstand the wear of use and time.

7.    HONORARIA-PRIZES -COMPENSATION
Each proposal selected by the jury to proceed to the 2nd stage of the Competition (Preliminary Drawings Competition) shall receive a honorarium of Euros Twenty-Five Thousand (€ 25,000) (incl. VAT).
The first stage Jury may also select one additional ‘utopian’ proposal to receive a honorary award of Euros Ten Thousand (€ 10,000) (incl. VAT), without entitling the participant to proceed to the 2nd stage of the Competition.

At the second stage of the Competition (Preliminary Drawings Competition) up to three (3) cash prizes of a total amount of Euros One Hundred and Sixty Thousand (€ 160,000) (incl.VAT) will be shared among three winners,  in the followings percentages  1st prize: 45%, 2nd prize: 33% , 3rd prize: 22%.

8.    AWARD OF DESIGN CONTRACT
The production of the architectural design of the free public space and of the supporting technical studies will be commissioned by the Organizer,  upon negotiation and agreement of the contract terms, to the recipient of the first prize (or of first distinction) Αrchitect designer provided that either himself and/or his collaborating team possess a class D or higher  Designer Permit for design categories 6 ‘Building Architectural design” or 7 ‘Special Architectural design’ (articles 2 and 39 of law 3316/2005) and on condition that a written consent has been issued  by the competent Greek State authorities.

9.    FEES FOR DESIGN AND STUDIES
The fixed fees (incl.VAT) payable for the production of architectural design drawings and related studies have been determined irrespectively of the construction cost, are:

Architectural Studies and Drawings (Architectural Preliminary Design Drawings, Architectural Design Development Drawings, Architectural Construction Drawings and specifications, Preliminary Landscaping Drawings, Studies and specifications, Design Development Landscaping Drawings,studies and specifications, Architectural Lighting Preliminary and Design Development Drawings, Studies and specifications): Euros One Million (€ 1,000,000)    

Technical  Studies and Drawings (Civil engineering works, Electrical and services engineering works, Bioclimatic studies, Bill of quantities and specifications): Euros One Hundred and Fifty Thousand (€ 150,000).                 

10.    REGISTRATION AND DOWNLOAD OF TECHNICAL DATA FILES
The Notice of Competition, detailed information and an entry application are posted on the Competition website www.rethinkathenscompetition.org. All interested parties are required to complete and submit online the entry application form in order to receive their Personal Access Codes (PAC) and acquire access to the technical data files of the Competition and participate in the Competition.

11.    COMMENCEMENT DATE, DEADLINE AND LOCATION FOR THE  SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
The date for the commencement of the first stage of the competition is Monday, May 21, 2012.
The deadline for the submission of the first stage proposals is Friday, September 7, 2012.
All the elements of the first stage proposals will be submitted in packages at the following address: Onassis Cultural Centre-Athens, 107-109 Syngou Ave., 117 45, Athens-Greece. Any proposals mailed or couriered to such address, provided they are received before the expiration of the deadline, will also be accepted.
The deadline for the submission of the second stage proposals is currently three (3) months from the date of notification of the new Personal Access Codes (PACs) for the second stage. The second stage proposals will be submitted at a location to be announced by the Competition procedures Committee only to participants who have been selected by the Jury to proceed to the 2nd stage, by posting on the competition website

12.    INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
The designs and studies produced by the successful candidate shall be donated by the ONASSIS FOUNDATION to the Hellenic State, without return consideration. Thus the Hellenic State is the final recipient of the design and Project Owner.  This Competition and the ensuing Design Contract shall be governed by Greek Law. The official language of the Competition and the Commissioning Agreement is the English language. All proposals and drawings will be submitted in the metric system of units.

This present Summary Notice is only a summary of an indicative selection of articles found in the unabbreviated Notice for the Competition, whose articles and stipulations prevail over the wording of this Summary Notice.

13. SUBMISSION DATE TO THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: 21/05/2012