Public Design Festival // Second Edition

special project // Public Space is a Personal Affair, photo by Ornella Zaza

Guest Contribution by Katerina Biliouri

In January we wrote about the Duepercinque contest which was part of the Public Design Festival. Interesting projects were gathered, submissions closed in February 2010, the winners were announced in March and their projects were finally presented at the Milan Design Week. The aim of the competition was making public opinion aware of the essential role of public spaces in urban planning through their creative transformation. A space is far more from an empty area defined by two or more surroundings. A public space is a place to express yourself, a place of social interaction where people meet, get together, exchange ideas, integrate and experiment. It is the place where the sense of "community" is built.

Bevetene Tutti by the Italian Gabriele Diamanti, Lorenzo de Bartolomeis and Filippo Poli, photo by Ornella Zaza

The Public Design Festival was based on a research about the role that design could and should play for enhancing the cities where we live in and ultimately our quality of life. During it, the nine winning projects of "Duepercinque contest" were presented. All of the projects involved the redesigning of parking spaces that measure 2 per 5 meters, offering to Milan and its citizens new solutions and services in places usually used for parking cars. Interesting installations occupied public streets in Milan and created an interactive dialogue with the public.
Discover the nine winning projects through the pictures that follow //

Bevetene Tutti by the Italian Gabriele Diamanti, Lorenzo de Bartolomeis and Filippo Poli, photo by Matteo Girola

Into The Flowers by Michal Rucinski, Silvia Ciacci e YellowOffice (Francesca Benedetto e Dong Sub Bertin), photo by Matteo Girola

Foundation by Dutch Rikkert Paauw e Jet van Zwieten, photo by Matteo Girola

Foundation by Dutch Rikkert Paauw e Jet van Zwieten, photo by Ornella Zaza

Megafono by Italian Cristiano Cremaschini, photo by Matteo Girola

Milan Traveler's Pot by Korean East4: Joonho Park, Seungyeun Lee and Jinil Hwang, photo by Ornella Zaza

Milan Traveler's Pot by Korean East4: Joonho Park, Seungyeun Lee and Jinil Hwang, photo by Matteo Girola

O2 Park by the Italian group C_uno: Jaim Telias, Ilario Paiano, Francesco Paone, Luca Pellegrini, Eleonora Piciucchi, Shanti Tommaso Piovella, Valeria Ponzanetti, Elen Rizza and Ivo Sera, photo by Matteo Girola

Run For Rest by the Portuguese Maria João Fonseca and Joana Pestana Lages, photo by Ornella Zaza

Set A Seat by Miro Surka from Slovakia, photo by Matteo Girola

The Silence Cone from the Argentinian duo DESIGNO-Patagonia: Manuel Rapoport and Martín Sabattini, photo by Ornella Zaza

Moreover, three International guests were invited. The first was Cascoland with the performance "Cascoland Sweet Surprise" a project aiming at creating new socializing occasions in Public Space. Topotek1 with their project "Public Space is a Personal Affair" covered an old building with wallpaper with the aim to demonstrate that the same care for beauty that we have at home should be used also for public spaces. Finally, Feld 72 with the installation "Public Hedge and Speaker's Corner" re-edited bikes for new urban needs and for looking at public spaces from a different point of view.

special project // Cascoland Sweet Surprise, photo by Ornella Zaza

special project // Public Space is a Personal Affair, photo by Matteo Girola

special project // Public Hedge and Speaker's Corner, photo by Matteo Girola

During the Public Design Festival numerous events that involved interaction with the public were organised; a public dinner, a presentation of the living strategies of the Rom people as well as the first urban re-thinking project that involved a whole neighborhood.
Overall? A success. A way of bringing people closer to design. A way of creatively using design in urban planning. Yatzer wishes all the best of luck to the team that will organize the Public Design Festival 2011!