Whether for design
competitions or architectural awards, buildings are often judged for what they offer–the programmed functions, the form, or the visual delight. In a minority of cases, it is
the absence or the reduction of intervention that made a project successful. In 1971, a high-profile architectural competition in
Paris was won by a proposal that only utilized half the available site, giving the rest as an urban space to the
city. In
London, a proposal to convert a disused
power station with minimal additions, leaving large spaces untouched, won a design competition in 1994. The
Stirling Prize, the
UK's most prestigious architectural award,
in 2017 was won by a proposal that was little more than an empty platform. These examples of cultural buildings from Northwestern
Europe illustrate how the absence of intervention can provide more.