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Press Release

DesignNewswire · COMO, Italy ·

Bronze A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design Goes to Mountain Waves Cultural Center by Di Mo

The international grand jury of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Di Mo for architecture, building and structure design

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 20, 2023 /DesignNewswire/ Mountain Waves Cultural Center by Di Mo has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. 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 Bronze A' Design Award Explained

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 Mountain Waves Cultural Center

Mountain Waves is a cultural center in Maotai, Guizhou, China. The building sits between two hills, and its form follows the wave-like shape of the surrounding mountains. The design applies principles of Shanshui art, which show mountains, water and people in a harmonious relationship. Traditional Chinese spatial types such as alleys, courtyards and halls guide the layout. A central alley divides the center into two parts and links the north and south entrances. Local fire bricks, perforated metal panels, wood, steel and glass are used.

About Di Mo

Di Mo is a New York-based architectural designer who seeks solutions to conflicts arising from rapid urbanization in the modern world. Growing up in China and living in New York, he witnessed the clash between modern and traditional architecture, inspiring him to investigate and rethink the relationship between humans and architecture. Di Mo designs to balance modern and traditional elements, with respect to cultural and historical contexts.

Award Record

This recognition makes Di Mo a winner of 1 A' Design Award.

About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award

The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Typical entries include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. The awarded architectural projects are published at https://designers.org/design-category/architecture

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

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
Mountain Waves Cultural Center
Function
Cultural Center
Category
Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Discipline
Spatial Design
Industry
Architecture
Colors
Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Dark Gray, Black and Linen
Images
5

The Recognition

Laureate
Di Mo
Country
United States of America
Recognition
Bronze A' Design Award
Edition
2022 - 2023
Design ID
#149840

Credits

Image Credits
Di Mo, 2018.

Design Details

Unique Properties
The incorporation of Shanshui art principles explores a unique design method to reflect upon, respect, and enhance the qualities of Maotai's rich culture and mountainous landscape. The use of traditional Chinese architecture prototypes, such as alleys, courtyards, and halls, as spatial features, aims to create a rich experience for visitors.
Inspiration
Chinese Shanshui paintings feature mountains, water, and people in a harmonious relationship. The site is in Maotai, China. Sandwiched between two hills, it presents a unique opportunity for us to engage the landscape in the design process. In the background, we see the mountainous landscape, looking like "waves" of mountains.
Research
I gained a comprehensive understanding of the site conditions, the local culture, and the Shanshui art, through site visits, conversations with locals, and online research,
Challenge
Challenges: 1. How to break down the volume using the logic of "waves" and create a sense of continuity between the natural surroundings and the built environment. 2. How to minimize the building's negative impact on the local micro-climate by designing a perforated facade. 3. How to take into consideration the local cultural context and industries.
Realization and Technology
Local fire bricks, perforated metal panels, wood, steel, glass
Operation and Interaction
The two hills (north and south) are connected by an alley that "cuts" the cultural center into two parts (east and west) - this creates "the landscape path". Visitors can come in and leave the building through both the north entrance and the south entrance - this creates the ground-level through-connection.
Project Duration and Location
Duration: 2 months. Location: Maotai, Guizhou, China
Specifications
Overall: 90m(L) x 100m(W) x varies(H), alley width: 10m
Keywords
cultural architecture, regionalism, atmosphere, mountain, Shanshui

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