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Second MAAS Architecture Commission calling for entries

After a successful inaugural competition in 2018, the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) has launched a follow up which will be showcased as part of Sydney Design Festival.

  • Four Periscopes by TRIAS was the inaugural MAAS Architecture Commission winner.

The next iteration of the MAAS Architecture Commission will be a feature of the 2019 Sydney Design Festival. The Sydney Design Festival is an annual celebration of design held across venues in Sydney each March.

Next year the MAAS Architecture Commission site will be the forecourt of the Powerhouse Museum, a central and highly visible spot. The installation will be situated on the Museum’s forecourt throughout the duration of the festival, ensuring all traffic and visitors will see the winning proposal.

Architects and designers are invited to design a temporary installation or structure that responds to the site and explores the potential for architecture to address complex issues, including those of environmental sustainability, access and inclusion through collective design.

When commenting on the design competition, Peter Denham, MAAS director, curatorial collections and exhibitions said, “The MAAS Architecture Commission is an opportunity for emerging practitioners to create something truly unique that will be experienced by both the design community and the wider Sydney community. The 2018 commission Four Periscopes has been seen by over 90,000 visitors since opening.

“We look forward to working with another inspiring architect or architectural team to bring their vision of community design to life for the 2019 Sydney Design Festival.”

Australian architecture studio TRIAS was awarded the first annual MAAS Architecture Commission as part of the 20th Sydney Design Festival in March 2018. TRIAS’ installation Four Periscopes consisted of four towers which were filled with a series of periscopic mirrors suspended above the ground, inviting visitors to look inside them, the reflections connecting people from the balconies to the ground floor, and from one tower to another.

Visible from all levels of the Powerhouse Museum, TRIAS’s winning work was a playful installation that evoked curiosity, encouraged interaction and inspired engagement. 

The jury for the 2019 MAAS Architecture Commission competition includes high profile architects, designers and educators. Including:

  • William Smart, Director and Founder, Smart Design Studio (also a judge on the 2018 INDE.Awards)
  • Dr Sam Spurr, Senior Lecturer, UNSW
  • Michael Hromek, Professional Tutor, Jumbunna Inst for Indigenous Education & Research, UTS
  • Kelvin Ho, Founder, Akin Creative
  • Diana Snape, Senior Design Advisor, Office of the Government Architect, NSW
  • Jennifer McMaster, Director, TRIAS
  • Keinton Butler, Senior Curator, MAAS
  • Sophie Harrington, Public Programs Manager, MAAS
  • Peter Denham, Director, Curatorial, Collections & Exhibitions, MAAS

 

ARCHITECTURE COMMISSION DETAILS

Where: Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo NSW 2007

Entry here

Key Dates:

EOIs open 18 July 2018
EOIs close 13 August 2018
Winning design announced September 2018
Sydney Design Festival and MAAS Architecture Commission installation open 1 March 2019

Read our interview with the 2018 MAAS Architecture Commission winners TRIAS.

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