Flint's Flat Lot Competition Has Its Inaugural Winner

The Flint AIA chapter and Flint Public Art Project have unveiled the winner of the first annual Flat Lot Competition, an initiative to design and build a temporary summer pavilion in the central parking lot in downtown Flint, Michigan. The jury chose Two Islands, a London-based team of architects and designers, the receive the $25,000 grand prize for their proposal 'Mark's House.' The project opens June 14 for Flint Art Walk and will remain on the site until Fall.

From the Winner's Announcement:

The winning proposal, Mark's House, tells the story of an imagined Flint resident, Mark Hamilton, whose family loses a home to foreclosure. The project perches a Tudor-style house clad in reflective panels on top of a mirrored pedestal, giving the structure the appearance of floating in mid-air. The house serves as a metaphor for both what the city has lost, as well as its ongoing revitalization, while also providing a canopy and stage for Flat Lot events. In addition, the structure can hold up to 1,500 gallons of water, which can be released as a cooling spray during hot summer days.

Flint Public Art Project and AIA-Flint launched the competition last fall. The competition brief called for a temporary structure that would take up no more than eight parking spaces, and would support public programs by providing amenities such as seating, shade, cooling devices, and a stage for performances. Nearly 400 teams from more than 35 countries around the world registered for the competition, and 221 entries ultimately were submitted by the March 1 deadline.

Two Islands is a London based design studio, founded by William Villalobos, Cesc Massanas and Tomas Selva.

Three other projects received honorable mention:

• Stage a Lot,by KSE Studio (Sofia Krimizi and Kyriakos Kyriakou) of Brooklyn, NY
• Building Bodies for Work by Wes Janz, Tim Gray, and Andrea Swartz of Ball State University
• AC.H2O, by Michael Ting of University of Calgary

These projects and 17 others will be exhibited along with Mark’s House at an exhibit to open on April 14 during the Flint Art Walk.

The Flat Lot Competition panel was chaired by Reed Kroloff, director, Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Other panel members included:

• Pedro Gadanho, curator of contemporary architecture, MOMA
• John Gazall, Flint-based architect, board member, Downtown Development Authority, and member of AIA-Flint
• John Henry, director, Flint Institute of Arts
• Monica Ponce de Leon, dean, University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture
• Shannon Easter White, Flint-based architect and member of AIA-Flint
• Stephen Zacks, executive director, Flint Public Art Project.