Partner Event: Formica Formations Competition 2015
Formations Design Competition judges (from left to right): Ron Sang, Richard Pollington, Renee Hytry Derrington, David Trubridge and Professional Category winner Wendy Tran.
Laminex New Zealand general manager, Richard Pollington, with emerging designer category winner Kyla Davies.
Formations Design Competition judges (from left to right): Renee Hytry Derrington, Ron Sang, David Trubridge, and emerging designer winner Kyla Davies.
Richard Pollington and Professional Category winner Wendy Tran.
Wendy Tran beside winning entry Crimson Summer.
Two imaginative designs were selected as the winning entries in the Formica Formations Design Competition 2015 last night at a well attended awards function at Orams Marine Services in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour.
Formica Formations was launched by Laminex New Zealand in 2011 to celebrate and showcase the creativity of architects and designers throughout New Zealand. A bi-annual event, it separates entrants into two categories: the professional category, and the emerging category for those entrants who are within four years of graduation.
The 2015 competition challenged entrants to reimagine the concept of lighting using Formica laminate. The thoughtful delivery of illumination within a bespoke form was important, and the brief provided designers both a technical and a design challenge. The winning designers each approached the way light and shape are combined in non-traditional ways – one as vertical wall art, and the other as a larger-than-life floor standing sculpture.
A panel comprising leading designer David Trubridge, Fletcher Building Laminates and Panels group vice president of design Renee Hytry Derrington and award-winning New Zealand architect Ron Sang judged the entries.
Laminex New Zealand general manager, Richard Pollington, said he was delighted with the quality of this year’s candidates. “We received a number of creative and inspirational entries, from the whimsical to the bold, and it was encouraging to see New Zealand designers considering innovative ways to use Formica laminate.”
Christchurch architect Wendy Tran was awarded first place in the professional category of the competition with her project Crimson Summer, inspired by the Pohutukawa tree that blooms with red flowers throughout the summer months across New Zealand.
Top spot in the emerging designer section went to Christchurch designer Kyla Davies who graduated from a Diploma in Interior Design in 2013. Her Modern Love wall lamp wowed the judging panel with its originality. Created using Formica AR Plus Solid Colour laminates, the design stood out from other submissions with its quirky message and use of text.
Laminex New Zealand is currently planning the next installment of the Formica Formations Design Competition, the focus of which will be revealed in early 2017.
