In this Era of open source and sharing economy, ideas have become the principal currency.

Since the launch of the International Competition for the Sydney Opera House in 1955 attracted 220 teams worldwide to build an Icon, architectural competitions have become the biggest vehicle for institutions to collect ideas and talent.

Two recent international Competitions have beaten Sydney’s record, the Aalto Museum and the Guggenheim Museum with 689 and 1715 submissions from 77 countries.

Here, ideas outshine icons. Or, perhaps more radically, ideas are the new icons.