Blueprint Awards 2018 Winners Announced!
Best Small Project
Winner: Adam Nathaniel Furman, UK
Gateways, London, UK
Image Credit: Gareth Gardner
Judges’ Comments
‘It’s refreshing to see a project that brings so many different types of people together — engaging us in a playful use of colour, pattern and movement in a way that makes joining the fun irresistible!’ Dominique Price
Following an invited design competition, Gateways was commissioned by Turkishceramics for designjunction as part of the 2017 London Design Festival. The project responded to a brief calling for a celebration of the Turkish ceramics industry — both its tradition of production and contemporary diversity — as well as the desire to engage with a broad range of visitors in the prominent location in King’s Cross.
Situated in between Granary Square’s two popular fountains, the installation consisted of four sequential gateways, all of the same external profile yet with individual elevation treatments that told a different story. The gateway openings were made smaller and given different shapes towards the rear, so that each surface treatment was visible from the front, but also so that a strong perspectival effect was generated to pull people through to the end.
Each elevation represented a different architectural period, whilst showing off a different contemporary ceramic product, and all intended to celebrate the use of ceramic tiles to create a dramatic architectural presence.
Flooring tiles that mimicked natural materials shared space with digitally printed tiles, bright hard-wearing coloured tiles popular in the Seventies in public projects, neo-Edwardian utility tiles that adorn many a ‘hipster’ cafe, and hand-made tiles from Istanbul created in traditional Iznik fashion.
Gateways was also, apparently, the most photographed installation of any the London Design Festival ever.
Highly Commended
3andwich Design / He Wei Studio, China
B Garden, Xinyang, China
Commended
Davidson Rafailidis, USA
Big Space, Little Space, Buffalo, USA
One Take Architects, China
Between Art Lab, Longli, China
Finalists
Ashton Porter Architects, UK
Hush House, London, UK
CAN, UK
Lomax Studio, London, UK
JaK Studio, UK
The Spyglass, Eastbourne, UK
Mark Pinney Associates, UK
V&A Exhibition Road Extension Shop, London, UK
Montalba Architects, USA
Bex & Arts, Bex, Switzerland
Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, China
Little Beast Concept Store, Shanghai, China
SoHo+Co, UK
Moon Garden, London, UK
Studio Evans Lane, UK
Pavilion for the RHS Spirit of Cornwall Show Garden, London, UK
Zai-Zao Architecture, China
Vibrant Reading Structure, Ningbo, China
Category sponsored by: Bisley
