The commissioning body often has the right to veto the winning design, and both requirements and finances may change, thwarting the original intention.
Examples are the Spanish Steps in Rome or in 1419, a competition was held to design the dome of the Florence Cathedral, which was won by Filippo Brunelleschi.
Open competitions were held in the late 18th century in several countries including the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, France and Sweden.
In the same period in the Netherlands, an association for the advancement of architecture (Maatschappij tot Bevordering van de Bouwkunst), started organising conceptual competitions with the aim of stimulating architects' creativity.
[3] There are a variety of competition types resulting from the combination of following options:[4] The rules of each competition are defined by the organiser; however, these often follow the guidelines provided by the International Union of Architects,[5] respectively the relevant national or regional architecture organisation.