Art Omi Deconstructive Utopia Whare Whakaaturanga Hoahoa by Daria Yang Du is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Hiriwa in Hoahoa Waihanga, Whare me te Hanganga Competition Category.
HiriwaWaihanga· 2026
Art Omi Deconstructive Utopia Whare Whakaaturanga Hoahoa
Client: DD Studio
A' Design Award Hiriwa Winner in Waihanga Category
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- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #176619
The Design
About Art Omi Deconstructive Utopia Whare Whakaaturanga Hoahoa
Ko Art Omi Deconstructive Utopia he whare whakaaturanga me te whare hoahoa kei te awaawa o Hudson, e tata ana ki te 12000 pūtahi tapawhā te rahi. I whakaahuatia te anga raima kōpiko mā ngā rangahau whakahekenga hau poihau, ā, i whakaritea ki ngā rīanga i mirihia e te CNC kia tika ai te kōpiko. Kei waenganui, kua tiakina tētahi wāhi porotaka hei wāhi whakaaturanga matua, hei tomokanga hoki mō te iwi whānui. He ara e rere ana mai i te uru ki te rāwhiti, e karapotia ana e ngā wāhi mahi, ā, ka mutu ki te roto. Ko ngā taiwhanga tārewa he anga rino māmā i uhia ki te rākau. He papa rākau mahana kei roto i ngā rūma, e whakapai ake ana hoki i te oro.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Hiriwa
Ko Art Omi Deconstructive Utopia Whare Whakaaturanga Hoahoa te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Art Omi Deconstructive Utopia Whare Whakaaturanga Hoahoa he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko Art Omi Deconstructive Utopia Whare Whakaaturanga Hoahoa he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Beginned by an experimental process of morsal-folly finding process to explore form and movement, the Art Omi Design Gallery reinterprets kinetic gestures into architectural space. The design transitions from a linear system of tensioned strings to a centralized spherical volume, carved out and preserved as the main exhibition space and public entrance. This void becomes the anchor of spatial experience, emphasizing a fluid internal circulation that guides visitors across the site.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Size: 12000ft²
- Tags
- Balloon Experiment, Yarn Grid, Deflation Studies, Form-Finding, Curved Concrete, Spatial Void, Floating Studios, Circulation Path, Cultural Landmark, Landscape Integration, Lightness and Memory, Architecture and Movement
- Production Technology
- The gallery is built as a curved concrete shell shaped by balloon deflation studies, using CNC-milled formwork for precise curvature. Warm timber panels line the interiors, enhancing acoustics and contrast with the concrete mass. Suspended studios use lightweight steel frames clad in wood, appearing to float above. Foundations integrate with the lakeside landscape, anchoring the structure while respecting natural topography.
- Design Challenge
- The challenge was translating a fleeting balloon-and-yarn experiment into a permanent architectural system. Capturing the dynamic shift from expansion to deflation required rethinking geometry, circulation, and structure. Preserving the spherical void while adapting the shifting yarn grid into concrete and timber demanded both technical precision and conceptual clarity, turning ephemeral gestures into a coherent, inhabitable cultural landmark.
- Research
- Each material guided form-finding through its properties. In balloon and yarn experiments, expansion and contraction revealed new spatial opportunities. Placed on flat topography, the balloon’s center aligned with a yarn grid, creating a cloud-like form. Strings attached to it defined smooth paths connecting to the ground. When deflated, shifting strings generated a new landscape, inviting people to walk, sit, lie, and interact with the folly as structure.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by balloon inflation and deflation studies, the design shifts from a linear system to a central spherical void, preserved as the main exhibition and entrance. A pivoting path extends west to east, flanked by workshops and ending at the lake. Suspended studios echo floating forms, while a curving concrete shell recalls string grids. Warm wood interiors contrast the monolithic frame, guiding visitors through a dynamic spatial journey.
- Project Duration
- Art Omi in Hudson Valley
- Operation Flow
- Individual Work
- Patents
- Copyright@2025 by Daria Yang Du
- Image Credits
- All Design & Illustration & Drawing & Physical Model by Daria Yang DU
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