ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION
Design movable chairs using a “45” themed element.
Register: JUN/19/2022, Submit: JUN/19/2022, Eligibility: Young designers, professionals, students, amateurs, designers of product, interior, architecture, landscape and public art; individually, teams up to 3 members, team leader must be under 35 year of age, Fee: Free, Awards: Champion: 50,000 CNY (Chinese Yuan Renminbi) (approx. 7,870 USD), Runner up: 20,000 CNY (approx. 3,148 USD), Second Runner up: 10,000 CNY (approx. 1,574 USD), Special Award for Sustainable Materials: 10,000 CNY (approx. 1,574 USD), Top 10: prototype making, Shortlist; all pre-tax
When it comes to great architecture, the most important thing isn’t always the building or its surroundings. Often what makes the biggest difference is the so-called “grey spaces.” These transitional, in-between elements such as staircases, hallways, porches, eaves and vestibules can blur, or even eliminate the boundaries between the inside and outside. They play a major role in determining whether a development is functional, or a living, breathing environment.
Contemporary architecture embraces grey spaces, such as open ground floors and terraces, to provide shelter from the wind and rain, or sunny places where people can relax and interact in comfort. The idea is not a new one. Traditional Chinese residences frequently feature grey spaces, including colonnades and corridors, windowed verandas, platforms, porches, waterside pavilions and boat houses. Classical Chinese gardens in towns on the southern reaches of the Yangtze River are often defined by their creative use of grey spaces.
In fact, grey space is a perfect representation of the Chinese philosophy “Unity of Man and Nature.” Rather than emphasising its existence and tangibility, grey space conjures images and creates an emotional connection between the building and its nearby environment when people are exposed to varied landscapes with every step they make.
BACKGROUND
Modern cities feature many underutilised grey spaces on public or private lots including areas under expressways, open spaces between residential buildings, unused parts of shopping malls, hidden corners in leisure plazas and public spaces inside hotels. The question is how to unlock the potential of these grey spaces through creative design? How to create more rest areas and leisure spots in bustling cities? Building upon the motto “We Create a Lifestyle”, HKR International (HKRI) strives to provide the best solution.
DESCRIPTION
HKRI launched the “PRI²DE Creative Camp” Young Designers Development Programme in 2019, with the aim to build a platform for showcasing creative work and provide opportunities for young designers and artists to put their work into practice.
Hosted jointly by HKRI and the international competition platform, Young Bird Plan, the initiative is aimed at collecting design works of movable chairs from around the world. Using HKRI’s successful projects in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok as launchpads, the key thematic element “45” was chosen to celebrate HKRI’s 45th anniversary.
With the goal of creating a sense of place and delighting users through creative works from talented designers worldwide, the competition is aimed at bringing vitality to a variety of indoor and outdoor public spaces in Discovery Bay of Hong Kong, HKRI Taikoo Hui and The Sukhothai Bangkok. It also showcases the forward thinking and creativity of the HKRI brand through online and offline publicity, which helps increase awareness among the global design industry practitioners.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
1. The Entrant is required to choose either Discovery Bay, HKRI Taikoo Hui or one of the hotels from The Sukhothai Hotels & Resorts (in Bangkok or Shanghai) as the scene for its design. The design for the movable chair should revolve around eco-friendly towns or grey spaces in commercial projects in the core areas of the city, including shopping malls, residences, hotels, clubs, waterfront promenades, and leisure squares. Whether they are intended for indoor, semi-outdoor or outdoor use, the chairs must be easy to carry and display.
2..The design should reflect HKRI’s brand story, revealing in particular the theme element “45,” which celebrates HKRI’s 45th anniversary.
3. There are no restrictions in terms of materials, but the use of recyclable and environmentally friendly materials are encouraged.
4. Practicality and functionality of the chair design shall be taken into account. The prototype can be 3D printed.
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