Singapore Archifest 2020 is going hybrid!
In this year’s edition of Singapore Archifest, an annual festival organized by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), the architecture and built community will experience immersive programs across online and offline formats, exploring the role of architecture and design in ecology and humanity. Themed ‘Architecture Saving OUR World,’ the Singapore Archifest 2020 will return with its inaugural hybrid edition from 25 September to 31 October 2020.
“There is so much that architecture and responsible design can do to make a positive change in our world, and we are excited for the festival to be the platform that opens up this discussion to more people. Especially with this year’s edition being a hybrid one that traverses the online space, it means that we are able to welcome on board international design mavens and also reach out to audiences beyond Singapore – making Singapore Archifest 2020 one that brings together the built community from all over the world,” shared Dr. Chong Keng Hua, an Associate Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the Founding Partner of design consultancy COLOURS: Collectively Ours, and the appointed Festival Director of Singapore Archifest 2020.
The best of both worlds
The hybrid edition presents a plethora of online forums, virtual exhibitions, hybrid workshops, decentralized island-wide pop-up activities, and an inaugural virtual Pavilion. The programs aim to discuss and highlight how architects can be involved in humanitarian works, how architecture can form new relationships with nature and food, and how placemaking and citizen involvement are essential for Singapore.
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The SIA Conference will kick off the Singapore Archifest 2020 on September 28 and conclude September 30. With three sub-themes: Radical Indigenism, Design Empowerment, and Empathic Interventions, the Conference looks at the context, process, and impact of design, featuring notable industry professionals from different parts of the globe. The Conference provides an open discussion around issues pertinent to the urban environment in Singapore and around the world.
The festival’s first virtual Pavilion, entitled, ‘Reclaiming Connectivity,’ is a collaboration between ADDP Architects and OWIU Design’s principals and founders, Joel Wong and Amanda Gunawan. Inspired by Gunawan’s photos on the natural landscape’s abstraction, the Pavilion’s design uses photography print on Light Emitting Surfaces (LES) glass to capture the subtle details of water as an attempt to distort its original way of being perceived. According to SIA’s press release: “[T]he Pavilion’s concept of ‘Reclaiming Connectivity’ is a relook at what is current and aims to inspire reflections on humanity’s innate need for connection, juxtaposed against the current reality of social distancing in public spaces. Festival-goers can expect to explore a virtual Pavilion that allows them to examine the structure through an interactive 3D tour that offers up 360-degree views, right from the comfort of home.”
READ MORE: Here’s your guide to Singapore Archifest 2020 SIA Conference
Registration for SIA Conference begins from 13 August, 9 AM, at www.archifest.sg/conference. Follow BluPrint for updates on Singapore Archifest 2020.
