Explore Edmonton and Media Architecture Design Edmonton (MADE) have recently announced the winning entry in this year’s Benchmarks design competition.
This year’s edition of Benchmark called for inspiring designs for unique street furniture at its annual K-Days fair and exhibition and was based on the theme of “Reimagining K-Days: Celebrating Summer in Our City.”
The grand prize was awarded to Edmonton-based firm OneTwoSix Design Inc. for their entry “Pop-upsicle” benches and tables that will provide a playful and Instagram-worthy setting for the summer festival site. They will be producing up to 20 of these designs for K-Days and other events hosted by Explore Edmonton.
OneTwoSix was inspired by the idea of enjoying popsicles on a hot summer day and noted that they “wanted to take the positive feelings associated with these experiences and amplify them in a vibrant and artistic form.”
OneTwoSix will also be incorporating a new recycled, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) panel invented by [re]Waste, a local manufacturer that developed these panels from local plastic waste products.
The jury was made up of Tara McCarthy (CBC), Tim Antoniuk (University of Alberta Industrial Design Professor),
Adrian Louden (Artist), Katelynn Schutz (MADE) and Kim Larson (Edify Magazine), and Corey Saban (technical
advisor from [re] Waste).
Cash prizes were awarded to two runners up; local landscape architect Kira Hunt of Adaptive EcoSystems, with
her Rhythm Lounger bench design and Calgary-based architecture firm, Hereby, with the Bon Bon bench
concept.
An award reception will be held during the opening of K-Days on July 20, 2023, and will feature an exhibition of all entry submissions. The benches will be on the K-Days grounds for the entire 10 days.