Aquafam Ka Hoʻopili ʻana o ka Wai Mineala by Wen Liu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā ʻUhi Competition Category.
KalaʻUhi· 2026
Aquafam Ka Hoʻopili ʻana o ka Wai Mineala
by Wen Liu
Client: Guishui Zhiling (Guizhou) Mineral Water Co., Ltd.
A' Design Award Kala Winner in ʻUhi Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #174963The Design
About Aquafam Ka Hoʻopili ʻana o ka Wai Mineala
He ʻōmole ʻo Aquafam i hoʻolālā ʻia no ka wai mineala kūlohelohe maikaʻi loa. Ua hana ʻia ka ʻōmole me ke aniani keʻokeʻo kiʻekiʻe a ua hoʻohālike ʻia me nā poʻohiwi pōʻai a me kahi kumu hoʻopoho e hoʻomanaʻo ana i nā ʻano kuahiwi karst. Ua hoʻokumu pololei ʻia nā hōʻailona i hoʻoulu ʻia e nā kiʻi pōhaku kahiko ʻo Hongya Tianshu i ka wā o ka hoʻoheheʻe ʻana, e hana ana i kahi ʻano paʻi hohonu hiki ke pā ʻia a e hōʻemi ana i ka hoʻohana ʻana i ka ʻīnika. Ua kālai ʻia ka pani me kahi kiʻi mōʻalihaku ichthyosaur a hoʻohana ʻo ia i kahi pani alumini wili maʻamau. Ua hana ʻia ka hoʻopili waho me ka mea ʻōpala i hana hou ʻia mai ka pulp i hoʻohana hou ʻia a ua paʻi ʻia me ʻelua wale nō waihoʻoluʻu.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Kala
Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Aquafam Ka Hoʻopili ʻana o ka Wai Mineala i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Aquafam Ka Hoʻopili ʻana o ka Wai Mineala he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā Aquafam Ka Hoʻopili ʻana o ka Wai Mineala e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This premium mineral water design is crafted as a geological epic in physical form. The bottle is inscribed with enigmatic symbols inspired by the Hongya Tianshu, its surface textured to mimic the erosion marks of millennia-old glacial potholes. Shaped with curves that reflect the silhouette of karst mountains, it features naturally rounded shoulders and a subtly recessed base, creating a striking visual gravitational pull. The cap is embossed with an ichthyosaur fossil totem, a timeless emblem of ancient life preserved. Each detail channels 225 million years of Earth’s energy into the palm of the hand, redefining luxury through the essence of nature itself.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 60.5mm×60.5mm×193mm
- Tags
- Aquafam, Natural Ecology, Mystical Oriental, Mountain-Water Realm, Minimalist Aesthetics, International Fashion, Premium Water Product, Natural Drinking Mineral Water
- Production Technology
- The bottle is crafted from high white glass, chosen for its purity and clarity. The Hongya Tianshu Petroglyph motif is integrated into the surface through a seamless one piece molding technique. This creates a tactile intaglio texture, with each line reflecting forms shaped by flowing water over millennia. To minimize ink use, all decorative patterns are formed during molding, leaving only essential labeling to be printed. The outer packaging uses corrugated material made from recycled pulp, which biodegrades readily. Printing is limited to two colors. This minimalist approach aligns the packaging with the brand's commitment to environmental stewardship.
- Design Challenge
- This translation distills 225 million years of geological history into a bottle, moving beyond literal symbols to embody a modern language of luxury.
Instead of reproducing fossils, we reimagined the Hongya Tianshu as an abstract energy icon. This approach retains the ethereal essence of mountain and water while translating it into a contemporary form. The bottle's shoulder is shaped to trace the defined ridges of karst peaks, and its base subtly suggests inverted summits. This creates a dialogue between solid and void, strength and softness, offering a tangible expression of yin-yang harmony.
Through seamless intaglio craftsmanship, the erosional textures of ancient glacial potholes are rendered tactile. This allows primordial energy to be felt through touch. Each interaction becomes a quiet ritual, a gentle transfer of energy from the earth's depths to life's sustenance. Holding the bottle becomes a conversation across time. - Research
- The design team visited the water source in Guanling, Guizhou. They drew inspiration from the layered karst landscape and the centuries old mystery of the Hongya Tianshu, interpreting the earth's embedded energy. Water analysis revealed a unique mineral composition, with strontium levels between 23 mg/L and 48 mg/L, a calcium magnesium ratio within the ideal 2:1 to 3:1 range, and natural alkalinity. Guided by this, the design focuses on two core expressions. First, it transforms the petroglyph symbols into an energy channel along the bottle, subtly conveying nature's gift to vitality. Second, the undulating, mountain inspired silhouette echoes the cyclical rhythm of the source ecosystem. Millennia of geological movement are distilled into three tactile elements: the shoulder line suggests mountain uplift, the intaglio texture evokes water erosion, and the base structure reflects sedimentary deposition. This turns intangible time and energy into a contemporary, holdable form of expression.
- Inspiration
- The design draws inspiration from the natural texture of Guizhou's Guanling landscape, where rolling peaks and the enigmatic inscriptions of the Hongya Tianshu form a secluded natural realm. Rock strata here preserve the ancient vitality of ichthyosaurs and crinoids. The design also incorporates the essence of Chinese landscape philosophy, seeing mountains as the enduring backbone of the earth and water as the flowing source of life. Here, mountain, stone, and water converge, defining the character of the water itself and narrating a story woven by nature and time.
- Project Duration
- Time: November 2024 – May 2025
Location: Shenzhen, China - Operation Flow
- The engraved Tianshu texture on the bottle surface creates a tactile memory when held, as if fingertips are tracing the imprints of millennia old civilization. As water flows along the undulating mountain contours at the bottle's base, it refracts shimmering light patterns, reminiscent of a stream meandering through a canyon stillness in motion. The cap adopts a standard twist off aluminum design, balancing cost efficiency with user convenience, while each act of untwisting becomes a subtle ritual of releasing geological energy. This is more than just drinking water; it is about weaving a moment of daily life into the rhythm of nature and wellness.
- Team Members
- Creative Director: Wen Liu
Design Executive: Shaokun Xiao
Designer: Yilan Fang, Haohui Fan
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