New York
Gretchen Wilkins’ entry for the ONE Prize international design competition was shortlisted from a pool of 92 entries from 22 countries. The design team included Ian Nazareth, Hesammadin Mohammad and Kelvin Chai.
The ONE PRIZE is an Annual Design and Science Award to Promote Green Design in Cities, organised by Terreform in partnership with the New Lab and New York University (NYU). In 2014 the prize competition called for the design of a Smart Dock: ONE Lab Educational Facilities at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The massive industrial facility is being transformed into a centre for innovation, state-of-the-art digital fabrication facilities, and a combination of tenant-occupied and shared works paces. The goal for ONE Lab “Smart Dock” is to provide dedicated space for design collaboration, exhibitions, workspace and the potential for the distribution of smaller ‘docks’ in shared areas throughout the facility.
Our design was envisioned a ‘BLiMP’ – a balloon-like space that billows into and out from the existing industrial shed, filled with images, information, art, sound, light and people. Physically and symbolically hovering between the factory and the city, Blimp provides a new iconic image for ONE Lab – a light, dynamic and vibrant space that simultaneously produces and publicly displays creative, cultural work. From ground level a spiraling ramp floats up into the balloon-like space; providing a series of exhibition spaces, lounge areas, and small, informal presentation surfaces. The Smart Dock is an Air Dock – a flexible and open space for constant streaming and display of design production and exchange.
The Jury was comprised of leaders, academics, practitioners, and thinkers from a wide spectrum of practice including David Bergman, Diana Agrest, Billie Tsien, Karen Wong, Christian Hubert (Chair), John Hockenberry, Luis Berríos-Negrón, Anya Bokov, Matthias Böttger, Jean-Louis Cohen, Scott Demel, Talia Dorsey, Mitch McEwen, David Ruy, Robyn Shapiro, Mark Shepard,Michael Szivos, Jack Tchen and Adrian Welch