Press Release
Evolution Design Is Honored with the Silver A' Design Award for Square Hsg Learning Center in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Evolution Design acknowledged for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2023 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category for Square Hsg Learning Center by Evolution Design. The recognition forms part of the 2022 - 2023 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.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
Regarding Square Hsg Learning Center
Square is a learning center for a university in Switzerland. The interior is built as an open grid and is based on the idea of unbroken connectivity and multifunctionality. The design covers around 7000 square meters across two upper floors, a ground floor and a basement. Open plan areas are combined with fifteen rooms, a cafeteria and a lounge. A toolbox of movable furniture, presentation equipment, a foldable stage, rugs and plants allows each area to be arranged for the event taking place. Most items are fitted with castor wheels, so they can be moved freely.
About Evolution Design
Evolution Design is a Swiss architecture and design studio that focuses on human-centred design solutions. The practice was founded in 2004 from the passion and drive of Stefan Camenzind to create a new level of client-focused design solutions. Today, the studio has offices in Zurich and London and employs a team of 20 architects and designers. Since 2014, Evolution Design is a partnership between executive director Stefan Camenzind, creative director Tanya Ruegg and technical director Marco Noch.
Award Record
Evolution Design is a winner of 16 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards were granted between the 2015 - 2016 and the 2022 - 2023 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior
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/147724
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/147724
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!147724
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/151217
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://shorturl.at/yLV19
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
- Square Hsg Learning Center
- Function
- Hsg Learning Center
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Silver, Light Gray, Dark Gray, Gainsboro and Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Evolution Design
- Country
- Switzerland
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2022 - 2023
- Design ID
- #147724
Credits
- Team
- Carolin Michalka, Jessica Mentz, Zhiyang Chiu, Patrik Uihlein, Dariusz Florczak and Stuart Dickens
- Image Credits
- Photographer Peter Wuermli, 2022.; Gataric Fotografie, 2022.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Built as an open grid, Square is based on the concept of unbroken connectivity and multifunctionality. All spaces can be used for dynamic learning and teaching scenarios – from communication, collaboration and presentations in large groups to concentration and individual work. Most spaces are, therefore, equipped with movable furniture and equipment that perfectly match the requirements of the event taking place and the number of people in attendance.
- Inspiration
- Square is an experimental field for new, future-oriented forms of learning and teaching. It was designed not to be just another university campus building, but rather a home to new ideas and concepts, experimentation and debate. The building was designed by Sou Fujimoto, and Evolution Design was commissioned to develop a comprehensive interior and learning concept that enables experimental learning and teaching and to fit out the building and several roof terraces.
- Research
- The University of St. Gallen aims to become a symbol of innovation in education and the new learning center is an important step towards achieving this goal. Built as a prototype for the university of the future, Square encourages dialogue between science, society, business, politics and culture. In the largest fundraising campaign in the history of the university, the Hsg Foundation received around 65 million Swiss francs in donations to build Square as well as to support its content development in the initial phase.
- Challenge
- Our main task was supporting the artistic director’s team in modelling countless learning and event scenarios that can take place in Square and developing a comprehensive scheme of furniture, presentation equipment and architectural elements that would satisfy the current and future uses of the space. Additionally, we also designed the cafeteria and all 15 learning and meeting rooms.
- Realization and Technology
- To accommodate the daily changes in use of space, the interior architects developed a customized toolbox concept – a set of elements like furniture, presentation equipment, a foldable stage, rugs and plants – all of which can be easily combined to create distinctive layouts and atmospheres within the open plaza. To increase the spatial versatility, most items – from chairs and stools to whiteboards, tables and plants – are fitted with castor wheels allowing the items to be moved around freely.
- Operation and Interaction
- Square consists of open plan areas – designed as an inspiring journey through the building – and fifteen rooms extended across three floors. The ground floor welcomes visitors with a cafeteria, a lounge, rooms for learning and pop-up events and the main open plaza. This is a bustling space where activities change daily: ranging from events with the participation of external guests to workshops, masterclasses and courses, and students working in groups on their projects.
- Project Duration and Location
- The construction of the project started in November 2019 and was completed in November 2021. The interior fit-out project started in June 2021 and was completed in February 2022.
- Specifications
- With a total area of around 7000 square meters, Square has two upper floors, a ground floor and a basement.
- Keywords
- SQUARE, HSG, University of St. Gallen (HSG), learning design, learning concept
