HONG KONG - December 8, 2012 - ASIA TODAY, Asia’s design event of the year, “Business of Design Week 2012” entered its final day with a local focus as multiple topics closely related to the Hong Kong community were discussed at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.
The West Kowloon Cultural District was one of the main focus, along with the role of technology in communication and design. Speakers sharing their experiences and valuable insights created an intimate atmosphere for the final day of talks. After a week of informative forums, programs and 100,000 participants, the Business of Design Week 2012 came to a lively and successful close.
Culture & The City
The morning of the “Culture & The City” track hosted a renowned line-up of speakers, including Michael Lynch, CEO of the Hong Kong West Kowloon Cultural Authority, one of China’s most infamous architects, Ma Yan-song, and the chairman of the Asia Society in Hong Kong, Ronnie Chan. The morning also saw Billie Tsien of Tod Williams Billie Tsien architects, whose work is known for the fusion of historical and modern elements, and the designer of London 2012 Olympic Cauldron, British architect Thomas Heatherwick. The speakers discussed how architects balance space and architecture to influence people’s livelihood and culture through urban development.
“I learned a lot from listening to the experiences of the creative speakers who came to Hong Kong” - Michael Lynch
Ronnie Chan has always been involved with the promotion of cultural development in Asia and Hong Kong. The Chairman of the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, who has greatly contributed to Asian society and culture, gave a talk on his works and sustainable development.
Also in the plenary session architect Ma Yan-song talked about the relationship between urban design and cultural development, and Thomas Heatherwick, recipient of the DFA Grand Award explained how he sees the a city interact with its architecture. Ma Yansong, is the founder of the MAD Architects, he designed the colloquially named “Monroe Building”, a Canadian landmark in Toronto. Thomas Heatherwick, redesigned Pacific Place a mall in Admiralty, Hong Kong, he is also this year’s recipient of the “Asia's Most Influential Design Award".
“Apart from taking its function and its impact on the environment, we should also consider the relations between the building and the people, as well as the feeling it gives...” – Thomas Heatherwick
Communication & Design
Danish trademark font designer Bo Linnemann, the founder of Bureau Mikro Borshe, Mirko Borsche, Designit founder, David Fellah and PARTY Creative Lab founder and creative director Masashi Kawamura, lead an impactful communication & design track. This track exposed the necessity to think outside of the box. Bo Linnemann underlined that consumers were fed up of branding, but highlighted that this can be combatted through “good use of font design” which “has become an amazing and very powerful tool”.
Masashi Kawamura’s talk on “Experimenting with new creative process to combine storytelling and technology” saw Masashi express his motivation to “challenge things I’ve never done or seen before.”
Culture & The City (Part 2)
The afternoon session of “Culture & The City”, saw an enthusiastic audience continue to learn from a number of creative speakers as they discussed the relationship between urban development and culture. Speakers included Bjarne Hammer, architect of the Royal Library in Copenhagen, the architecht Mark Dytham M.B.E., Carl Depauw director of the Museum on the River (MAS), and Kazuyo Sejima founder of SANAA.
Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, Kazuyo Sejima gave an absorbing talk, describing how she views architecture and its role in society.
"I think a building is only a container for an event, people and society…they are in this same place, but they have different purposes for being there. All kinds of activities happen in the same space”. Kazuyo Seijima
Thought Provoking Forum
After three days of thought provoking content the warm atmosphere of the BODW Forum brought Business of Design Week 2012 to a close. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre saw international speakers and guests have their last interaction with the lectures and activities of Business of Design Week 2012. Hong Kong design year’s key-note event set off discussions about “how to explore the technology and design” and "the latest global brand management strategy". Hong Kong Design Centre was pleased as it met its aim: to stir up discussion with regard to design.
Looking forward to next year: Belgium
The six-day "Business of Design Week 2012” hosted wonderful speeches, an impressive array of exhibitions and inspired creative living. In the closing speech Mr Victor Lo, Chairman of the Hong Kong Design Centre, thanked everyone for the supports to Business of Design Week 2012 and its participants, and announced that he looked forward to having Belgium as the partner country for "Business of Design Week 2013".
Business of Design Week
Business of Design Week is a cluster of business and design events in the form of forums, exhibitions and workshops that allow participants to experience various aspects of design in both a creative and technical way. Events are hosted at various venues throughout Hong Kong and China and run parallel to one another. The Business of Design Week experience aims to enrich and inspire creative content.
BODW is Asia's leading annual event on design, innovation and branding. Since 2002, it has been organized by the Hong Kong Design Centre. Bringing the best of the global design world to Hong Kong, the week-long event encourages businesses to unleash the power of design by focusing on the vital relationship and complex interplay between design and business.
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