Urban Wing, the champion in the landmark category, is designed for the Yangtze River Delta region, Shanghai and Hongqiao. It uses elements to show Hongqiao as a transport hub and drew inspiration from airplanes. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]
The awards ceremony of the third Yangtze River Delta Urban Sculpture and Street Furniture Public Art Creative Design Competition kicked off in Shanghai's Minhang district on April 18.
The competition received a total of 353 artworks from enterprises, institutions, colleges, design teams, designers and students in China and abroad and selected 27 items for the finals.
During the ceremony, organizers announced the top three masterpieces in the competition's three major categories: street furniture, landmarks and sculptures.
Themed on "Strength of Sculpture, Temperature of City", the competition strived to create a batch of impressive, touchable and interactive sculptures and street furniture that meet the needs of the city, add fresh strength and vitality in urban development and promote cultural exchanges and industrial linkages among cities in the Yangtze River Delta region.
The event promoted a life aesthetic experience brought to the public by designers with ingenious ideas and artistic perspectives.
For example, Smart Chain Era took "link" as the core concept to embody the spirit of cooperation in the Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District, which showcased connecting technology and life through the design of furniture and a blueprint for future life.
Urban Wing, the champion in the landmark category, was designed for the Yangtze River Delta region, Shanghai and Hongqiao. It used elements to show Hongqiao as a transport hub and drew inspiration from airplanes.
Raccoon Dogs Make Their Home portrayed a young raccoon dog hiding in a concrete pipe as its home to vividly show the survival of local wild animals during the process of urbanization and alert citizens of the importance of preserving urban biodiversity.
"Urban public art is the jewelry and expression of the city," said Lou Yongqi, head judge of the competition, vice-president of Tongji University and academician at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. He added that the competition has played an important role in empowering urban renewal, improving quality of life and conveying the humanistic spirit.
