DP Inspire Awards |
| ALL NEWS |
The DP Inspire Awards is an inaugural office-wide awards aimed at promoting design excellence which spanned across two months. The award comprised of two categories – Design of the Year and Research and Innovation.
A total of 19 projects were shortlisted and the judging process was conducted by a distinguished panel of external judges – President’s Design Award 2016 winners Dr Hossein Rezai and Mr Rene Tan, NUS Senior Lecturer Mr Tomohisa Miyauchi and Business Times’ Correspondent Ms Tay Suan Chiang on 15 September.
The winners were announced at the first-ever DP 50 Design Future Conference held at the Mediacorp Campus on Tuesday, 10 October.
Mr Seah Chee Huang, DP Architects director, opened the awards announcement segment with an introductory speech; the external jury panel was in attendance to present their citations and announce the winners for the two categories.
In the Design of the Year Category, Logrono Pavilion Cada Cuba Huele Al Vino Que Tiene project emerged as the winner, with the team receiving a sum of $15,000 prize money. Two teams tied for the second prize, Archifest Pavilion and GoodLife Makan, with both project teams receiving $7,500. The honourable mentions were given to the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and Project Bus stop projects.
In the Research and Innovation category, the Forest Green Rover Stadium project emerged as the winners receiving a sum of $10,000 prize money. Both the Looking Through the Prism project and the DP Hospitality App received honourable mentions.
Congratulations again to all the winning teams!
Design of the Year | Winner LOGROÑO PAVILION The wooden pavilions at Logroño-Spain celebrate local wines, as well as DP Architects’ commendable respect for the small scale. Participation in the project places Singapore architecture and design on the international map of highly intellectual and design conscious architecture. Assimilation of each pavilion as a deconstructed wine barrel, and the introduction of the taste, feel and aroma into each pavilion, is at once ingenious, elegant and simple. Assembly of the limited number of timber strips into pavilions of different scales, and composition of these in the square, was particularly commended by the jury. The juxtaposition of light, shade, void and solid, as well as creation of spaces the public interacted with, was also an aspect of the project which captured the attention of the Jury. The Logroño Pavilion, whilst simple, demonstrate a high level of sophistication and, while playful, exhibits a level of maturity that is deserving of being the winner for the Design of the Year category. |
Design of the Year | Second Prize (Tie) ARCHIFEST PAVILION This project exemplifies the power of the architect and architecture and represents the spirit of our profession as architects, which was also the main goal of the festival. The design of the structure is well thought through in terms of the ease of construction, such effort is driven by a sense of professional responsibility and care for the construction workers involved. Inspired by digital RGB colours, the screen softens the harsh ray of lights among the skyscrapers, turning them into the delight of the tropical atmosphere. Beneath it, pockets of spaces enwrap visitors like babies in blankets. The result is the bold statement which makes us believe that good architecture can transform an ordinary space into an extraordinary experience, thereby turning Raffles Place into an urban oasis where visitors can seek shelter. The jury commends Archifest Pavilion for the quality and its energetic and emphatic design. |
Design of the Year | Second Prize (Tie) GOODLIFE! MAKAN This project is an example of how architects can make a difference even without the construction of any new structures. Working within the space of an existing void deck, Goodlife! Makan meets the client’s brief and also gives much joy and purpose to its users. The clever space planning, use of colours and icons, as well as the porousness of the space all make it a welcome addition to the community. Looking at the delighted faces of the users is testament that Goodlife! Makan is serving its intention. |
Research and Innovation The competition entry for Forest Green Rovers’ new football stadium in Stroud is a gallant effort by the DP Architects team which in itself deserves recognition and applause. The open international competition attracted more than 50 entries from across the globe, which included a number of well-known and recognised stadiums and sports complex architects. The entry from DP Architects received due recognition by being one of the three finalists, and eventually losing to the office of the late Zaha Hadid in a challenging final round. Sinking the stadium into the ground in order to reduce its visual impact on the surrounding countryside is a bold move which the jury considers noteworthy. The “repurposing” of the stadium into a community space, and the embedding of cutting edge and explorative environmentally responsive elements in the design do differentiate this from the rest of the pack. The jury had little challenge to nominate this project as the winner for the category of Research and Innovation. |
