08/28/2009 AWARD CEREMONY "GECKO: THINK FORWARD"-AWARD
From window displays, through setting the desired ethical tone in public buildings, to ornamental table coverings: The “GECKO: Think Forward” competition perfectly exemplifies the versatile, exciting and innovative application options of the revolutionary “GECKO” textile. Twenty one participants from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Ireland and the USA took up Création Baumann’s challenge to demonstrate the material’s diverse range of applications with implemented projects.
The competition, with total prize money of 22,500 Euros, will further raise the profile of GECKO. After a successful launch this innovation from Création Baumann has already received multiple awards. Following several years of research and development work, the textile manufacturer from Langenthal succeeded in developing a silicon coated, self adhering textile which can be affixed directly to glass and removed without leaving any residue.
The competition was targeted at architects, planners, building engineers and interior designers. In addition to Philippe Baumann, the proprietor and CEO of Création Baumann, the five strong expert jury was comprised of Aurel Aebi from the design studio Atelier Oï in Neuveville, Daniel Zehntner from the design atelier Eclat in Zurich, the architect Andreas Bründler from Buchner Bründler in Basel and Ulrike Kunkel from the German journal db deutsche bauzeitung. “The quality of submitted work was remarkable and aesthetically of a high standard”, declared Philippe Baumann.
On 20th August in a festive setting in Langenthal the best works in the three categories of “functionality”, “aesthetics” and “innovation” were awarded prizes. The award in the category “functionality” went to Ahrens Grabenhorst, an architect practice from Hanover. It was awarded for the interior design of “Etz Chaim“, a community centre and synagogue of the liberal Jewish community in Hanover. On the upper level of the synagogue’s interior 4.20m tall glass plates were covered with strips of the self adhering textile in white “GECKO CRYPTA”. The textile’s surface texture refracts light, flooding the room with a velvety soft and light ambiance that diffuses architectural boundaries. “It is the diffused light derivec from the use of the textiles which defines the interior” says Aurel Aebi elaborating on the jury’s decision. “The texture generates a very special light effect. In short, it is a compelling project with outstanding finesse.” “GECKO just came our way” says Gesche Grabenhorst the prize winner. “We were looking for a material to bestow mysticism to the interior.” In the “aesthetics” category the jury were equally unanimous in the selection of the prize winner with the project by Mette Ramsgard Thomsen and Aurelie Mossé, for the CITA – the centre for IT and architecture. The architects from Copenhagen created with “ice-fern” a highly aesthetic and poetic window sculpture. Inspired by the natural phenomena of frost patterns the self adhering textile was used to create a crystal shaped, three dimensional pattern spanning the window to conquer the wall. “We were captivated by the complexity, the creative implementation and the character of the project. An ingenious cut and layering technique transforms the soft textile into a three dimensional sculpture that communes with the interior and its architecture,” expands Andreas Bründler, a member of the jury. The winning project in the “innovation” category is “GECKO goes kids” by Trix Barmettler, a graphic designer from Zurich. She created a delightful privacy and light screen that is a joy to see for “Frechdachs” a crèche in Zurich. By using GECKO, a modular system of diverse motifs, scales and colours was developed to allow for flexible and child friendly styling of the crèche’s glass frontage. Depending on requirements, opaque collages or playful themes emerge. „Gecko becomes a magical construction kit for creativity,” expounds Daniel Zehntner, a member of the jury. “It is a highly narrative project, which has everything that childish fantasy yearns for. It illustrates to perfection GECKO’s enormous potential.” Trix Barmettler, the prize winner adds “We developed the project jointly with the children and their carers. Displays are changed weekly, sometimes even daily.”
The works of the prize winners as well as nominated projects can be viewed until the end of October in the interior of Création Baumann in Langenthal.
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The competition, with total prize money of 22,500 Euros, will further raise the profile of GECKO. After a successful launch this innovation from Création Baumann has already received multiple awards. Following several years of research and development work, the textile manufacturer from Langenthal succeeded in developing a silicon coated, self adhering textile which can be affixed directly to glass and removed without leaving any residue.
The competition was targeted at architects, planners, building engineers and interior designers. In addition to Philippe Baumann, the proprietor and CEO of Création Baumann, the five strong expert jury was comprised of Aurel Aebi from the design studio Atelier Oï in Neuveville, Daniel Zehntner from the design atelier Eclat in Zurich, the architect Andreas Bründler from Buchner Bründler in Basel and Ulrike Kunkel from the German journal db deutsche bauzeitung. “The quality of submitted work was remarkable and aesthetically of a high standard”, declared Philippe Baumann.
On 20th August in a festive setting in Langenthal the best works in the three categories of “functionality”, “aesthetics” and “innovation” were awarded prizes. The award in the category “functionality” went to Ahrens Grabenhorst, an architect practice from Hanover. It was awarded for the interior design of “Etz Chaim“, a community centre and synagogue of the liberal Jewish community in Hanover. On the upper level of the synagogue’s interior 4.20m tall glass plates were covered with strips of the self adhering textile in white “GECKO CRYPTA”. The textile’s surface texture refracts light, flooding the room with a velvety soft and light ambiance that diffuses architectural boundaries. “It is the diffused light derivec from the use of the textiles which defines the interior” says Aurel Aebi elaborating on the jury’s decision. “The texture generates a very special light effect. In short, it is a compelling project with outstanding finesse.” “GECKO just came our way” says Gesche Grabenhorst the prize winner. “We were looking for a material to bestow mysticism to the interior.” In the “aesthetics” category the jury were equally unanimous in the selection of the prize winner with the project by Mette Ramsgard Thomsen and Aurelie Mossé, for the CITA – the centre for IT and architecture. The architects from Copenhagen created with “ice-fern” a highly aesthetic and poetic window sculpture. Inspired by the natural phenomena of frost patterns the self adhering textile was used to create a crystal shaped, three dimensional pattern spanning the window to conquer the wall. “We were captivated by the complexity, the creative implementation and the character of the project. An ingenious cut and layering technique transforms the soft textile into a three dimensional sculpture that communes with the interior and its architecture,” expands Andreas Bründler, a member of the jury. The winning project in the “innovation” category is “GECKO goes kids” by Trix Barmettler, a graphic designer from Zurich. She created a delightful privacy and light screen that is a joy to see for “Frechdachs” a crèche in Zurich. By using GECKO, a modular system of diverse motifs, scales and colours was developed to allow for flexible and child friendly styling of the crèche’s glass frontage. Depending on requirements, opaque collages or playful themes emerge. „Gecko becomes a magical construction kit for creativity,” expounds Daniel Zehntner, a member of the jury. “It is a highly narrative project, which has everything that childish fantasy yearns for. It illustrates to perfection GECKO’s enormous potential.” Trix Barmettler, the prize winner adds “We developed the project jointly with the children and their carers. Displays are changed weekly, sometimes even daily.”
The works of the prize winners as well as nominated projects can be viewed until the end of October in the interior of Création Baumann in Langenthal.
