Founder joins Young Bird Plan competition panel in Shenzhen
Our very own Tilman Thürmer, founder of COORDINATION ASIA, recently had the honour of being the member of a selection panel for the Young Bird In-Between Architecture Design Competition, a rising organisation in the design industry in China.
Relatively new on the architecture scene, the Young Bird Plan Design Competition was launched in 2013 by Isa Ye of Domus China. It aims to mentor young Chinese-speaking architects and designers while enriching the development of one of China’s fastest-growing cities: Shenzhen. Young Bird describes its competition as “not only architecture, but also a challenge, revelation, and courageous exploration of the enchanting paradox between life, society, and nature.”
Each year, the competition is open to Chinese students or practitioners under 33 majoring in architecture, design, art, or other related fields. This year, selection for the winners occurred on February 25 in Shekou. Other members of the jury included Zhang Yuxing, Ching-Yueh Roan, Yang Tianping, Liu Xiaodu, and Isa Ye. Contestants designed public projects of 1,434 sqm for the First Phase Coastal Life Shoreline. Designs were required to reflect the regional culture and creativity and include an exhibition hall, coffee shop, bookstore, restaurant, and green space.
First prize of the competition was awarded to Liu Kunpeng with his project titled “Visible Sloping Roof”, a design which aimed to bridge modern architecture and tradition. The winning project will be constructed at Prince Bay, a location in Shenzhen where development is still strongly underway.
“…[W]e do not want to have great visions which just remain on paper or renderings. We want to experience the architecture, we want to go inside of it, we want to live in it. We don’t want to see it just on drawings,” Tilman said on his evaluation of the finalists. While only one could be chosen, all top nine designs were fantastic projects, and the Young Bird Plan Competition proves that the future of architecture in China is looking bright.