Press Release
Moonlight Huotang Fireplace for Dong Ethnicity by William Chen - Creative Prototyping Unit Receives the Bronze A' Design Award in Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design
The international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes William Chen - Creative Prototyping Unit of Creative Prototyping Unit for cultural heritage and culture industry design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ Moonlight Huotang Fireplace for Dong Ethnicity by William Chen - Creative Prototyping Unit of Creative Prototyping Unit, designed for Creative Protyping Unit, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
More About Moonlight Huotang Fireplace for Dong Ethnicity
As the first commission project of Huotang series for the Dong ethnicity in Guangnan county, Guangxi of China, Moonlight Huotang is particularly for the group of villagers who carry on the Pipa music culture. The unique convex shape of the ceiling enhances the sense of gathering in response to a better acoustic environment while the entry chamber provides a multifunction space as a changing room, food preparation room and confession room. It is part of a culture-led rural regeneration which intends to revive the economy of a county whose young generations have moved to larger urban areas.
About William Chen - Creative Prototyping Unit
William Hailiang Chen has transferred himself from an artist to a professional qualified architect, graduated from the Architectural Association School with awarded Alvin Boyarsky Scholarship and Nicholas Boas Travel Award. He went on working for UK famous practices such as Wilkinson Eyre Architect, Populous and Foster and Partners on several prestigious projects, including winning the competition of 440m tower of Guangzhou International Finance Centre, the design of London Olympic 2012 Stadium from inception to completion and Apple Campus 2.
About Creative Prototyping Unit
Creative Prototyping Unit is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Beijing and London. The Studio is seeking the development of transdisciplinary discourse in the convergence of art, science, technology and cultural consciousness research.
Award Record
With this recognition, William Chen - Creative Prototyping Unit of Creative Prototyping Unit is a winner of 3 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2016 - 2017 and the 2020 - 2021 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design Award
The A' Cultural Heritage Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good designs that preserve, protect, and promote cultural heritage. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to cultural heritage designers, culture industry professionals, cultural heritage specialists and museum designers from all countries. Typical entries include cultural heritage projects, cultural conversation, preservation and restoration and protection projects. The awarded cultural heritage designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/cultural-heritage
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/116858
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/116858
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!116858
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/178895
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.designbycpu.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Moonlight Huotang Fireplace for Dong Ethnicity
- Function
- Fireplace for Dong Ethnicity
- Category
- Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Arts and Social Impact
- Colors
- Dark Olive Green, Black, Dark Slate Gray, Sienna and Peru
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Creative Protyping Unit
The Recognition
- Laureate
- William Chen - Creative Prototyping Unit
- Country
- Great Britain
- Brand
- Creative Prototyping Unit
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2020 - 2021
- Design ID
- #116858
Credits
- Team
- William Hailiang Chen, Shoujian Eng, XinY structural consultants and Zhu Heng
- Image Credits
- All images©Creative Prototyping Unit
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Moonlight Huotang is a fireplace for the Dong ethnicity located in Guangnan county, Guangxi province of China. It is the first commission project as part of the Huotang series and particularly for the group of villagers who carry on the Pipa music culture. The unique convex shape of the ceiling enhances the sense of gathering in response to a better acoustic environment while the entry chamber provides a multifunction space as a changing room, food preparation room and confession room.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration comes from local traditional timber construction house and craft techniques developed by the Dong ethnicity. The circular typology has been chosen due to the form of gathering around the fireplace as well as acting as a small theatre for performing traditional Pipa music instrument. This has been the form of their life for many generations.
- Research
- Dong ethnicity has been rooted in the remote rural mountain area and increasingly disconnected from the fast-moving cities. It is part of a rural culture regeneration project as an architectural acupuncture which intends to revive the economy of a county whose young generations have moved to larger urban areas. By building specific industrial structures and social projects in relation to the Dong culture and economy, it hopes to boom in the tourism industry for a better connection to the outside world.
- Challenge
- As a cultural regeneration project, the challenge was to enhance the local crafts such wood construction and straw weaving techniques while bringing a contemporary architectural understanding to the local community. To ensure its buildability by local craftsmen, wood construction was chosen aided by CNC fabrication to realise a unique geometry for the Huotang typology. Wall finishes and internal doors also utilise the straw weaving techniques to showcase the Dong culture. By doing so, the new Huotang seeks to ensure a contemporary relevance for the Dong culture.
- Realization and Technology
- Stone foundation, brick wall plus straw and clay plaster on the surface, CNC cut timber roof structure
- Operation and Interaction
- The Huotang plays an important role in the daily life of the Dong community. As a forum, it is a gathering place of great social significance, and often the scene of diverse activities, including political discussions and debates, leisure and dinner. Deeply integrated into Dong’s lives, it is their second home. Moonlight Huotang proposal is for up to 25 people who can carry on the folk music culture to the next generations as well as a display of Dong culture for foreign tourists.
- Project Duration and Location
- Permanent, completion in June 2021
- Specifications
- main building in 5m diameter circular shape, plot size: 6m Width x 8m Depth
- Keywords
- Community Centre, Cultural Regeneration, Fireplace, Huotang, Dong Ethnicity
