On March 7th, BNA (Royal Institute of Dutch Architects) and Dutch music festival Lowlands started the ArchiTenten Challenge. cepezed partner and architect Ronald Schleurholts is the only architect in the five-member jury that assesses the entries. The design contest challenges architecture students and young architects up to age 35 to design the coolest tent ever for the nicest campers in The Netherlands: the Lowlands campsite guests. The winning tent design will actually be produced and spotlighted at Lowlands.
For BNA, the ArchiTenten Challenge is a small-scale, playful way to generate attention for the power of design related to the sustainability or our lives. BNA director Fred Schoorl says: “It would be nice if the architectural talent of today could surprise the jury with designs that excel in sustainability, innovation and spatial quality – or more metaphorically: tents with music in them.”
Schleurholts agrees and says: “The tent is the ultimate way to create a ‘building’ with a minimal use of materials and almost without any impact on the environment. I am very curious about what a new generation of designers will do with this primal typology and I am looking forward to innovative materials and surprising concepts.”
Lowlands director Eric van Eerdenburg: “This Challenge fits in nicely with our urge to innovate. Perhaps a young architect designs a beautiful, sustainable tent that renders the disposable tent redundant. But it would also be great if someone literally and figuratively submits ‘a big gesture’ that gives you a completely different view on camping.
Sketch designs can be send in through www.architentenchallenge.nl until April 26th. On April 30th, the jury will publish the three finalists and on May 30th the winner will be announced. His or her tent will be realized by Karsten Tenten and will steal the show on the Lowlands campsite from August 16th – 18th.
cepezed partner ronald schleurholts juror architenten challenge
