An awards ceremony was held yesterday for the inaugural Architectural Design Competition in Hengqin, which involved 19 Macao architectural teams vying for prizes of 100,000 patacas. Participants were required to submit design concepts for a Hengqin-based public recreational park pavilion in front of the Hengqin Government Affairs Service Center.
The three projects that bagged the top honours were “Mountain flow pavilion” by LBA’s Francesca Carlotta Bruni and Rui Leão; “Flower Pavilion” by the Volk Design’s Manuel Lam, and “ELSA in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin” by C&V Architecture Studio Ltd’s Kam Fong Wa, Lai Kuong Hou and Chan Hoi Wang.
An honourable mention award, worth 50,000 patacas, was also awarded to two other projects: “The Circular Embrace” by New Vision Design’s Lam Kuong Kao, Lam Weng Chong and Ng Man Wai, and “A Shared Space For Gathering – Hengqin Sustainable Instant Kitchen” by Leong Man I, Lao Iat Sat and Ian Hei In.
Each project offered a distinctive take on the design of the recreational park pavilion. For instance, Leão’s notes that his team’s project brings “the theme of East-and-West through the sphere of the iconic, the spatial and tectonic dimensions.”
Meanwhile, Lam’s project was inspired by a kapok petal and consists of a small assortment of buildings. In contrast, Kam, Lai and Chan’s design concept has a streamlined exterior that is meant to evoke the image of a flying bird.
Regarding the significance of the competition, Christine Choi, president of board of directors of the Architects Association of Macau, said “This event not only introduces the first Architectural Design Competition and Exhibition specifically for Macao architects, but also establishes a foundation for innovative architectural practice in the region.”
She noted that the competition, which was held between 18 October and 2 December, can be deemed a success, “as the quality of the entries are quite high, [as evidenced by the] range of architects from individual to teams and firms [that] can be seen.”
Leão concurs, noting that the “Hengqin government has recognised ideas competitions as a way to develop itself to a high standard and make the best use of Macao’s creative resources.”
Lai, meanwhile, hopes that more competitions of this type can be arranged in the future, as they “allow Macao architects to demonstrate their strengths and gain more job opportunities.”
[See more: How to see some of Macao’s best modernist architecture in half a day]
As for the growing ties between Macao and Hengqin, Leão believes the mainland island offers plenty of opportunities for local architects. “Due to the way [Hengqin’s] infrastructure and major buildings were implemented on a top-down approach in the first years, the city desperately needs architects and good architectural design solutions to transform itself into a viable, livable and sustainable city,” he says.
Lai is in agreement, noting that “the local government has also provided various preferential policies to support Macao companies and architects, making it easier for them to develop projects in the region.”
An exhibition to showcase the various park pavilion designs is currently underway at the Hengqin Government Affairs Service Center, and will run until 20 December. This competition was jointly organised by the Architects Association of Macau and the Urban Planning and Construction Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao-Depth-Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
