At the extreme ends of the earth, dull grey skies are whipped by winds saturated with dust.
Here, men, women and children wander through boundless expanses of plastic looking for waste to sell at a few cents a kilogram. Is this a dystopia? Is this science fiction? No, it is not. This happens along the river Dhaka in Bangladesh. This is one of the numerous aspects of a disaster, which is now too extended to be told. By nature, plastic waste is indestructible and currently there is an incalculable amount of it on the planet. Human beings are losing the fight against plastic waste.
Actually plastic is not an enemy. It made space travels possible. It revolutionized medicine. Daily, it saves millions of people making food resources safe and accessible to the poorest populations of the planet. What is needed is not a world without plastic. What is needed now is a revolutionized awareness about waste management. Moreover, a technological research to create sustainable alternatives to traditional polymers is required. National Geographic is well aware of that. For years, it has been informing the general public about the effects of plastic pollution with its photographs.
Plastic Monument is a competition aiming to create an itinerant architectural installation that will travel all around the world to raise awareness about the impact of plastic waste on our planet.
In the fight against plastic waste, everyone can make the difference.
Plastic Monument offers architects the opportunity to play a key role in raising awareness. Plastic Monument will create an object to show the world the consequences of disposable culture. It will be the ambassador of a renewed attention on the effects of our choices. It will denounce the disaster caused by the superficiality and bulimia of modern man. However, it will also be the new foundation to protect our planet.
Yac thanks all the architects who will take part in this challenge.
Winners
First Prize
VATRAA
Bogdan Rusu, Anamaria Pircu
Second Prize
Fresh and Free
Bogdan Shevchenko
Third Prize
Solene Biche-Cais
Solene Biche
Gold Mention
Magda Redzinska
Magda Redzinska, Marta Redzinska, Grzegorz Oleniecki
Gold Mention
Maciej Grelewicz
Maciej Grelewicz, Bartlomiej Grelewicz
Mention
meditune
Marco Digrandi, Nidhal Kmira, Julie Ferreres
Mention
Philipp ko
Philippos Kotsiras, Viktoria Yordanova
Mention
NONI
Federico Stefanoni, Marco Santini
Mention
Michał Krywult, Anna Karaś
Michał Krywult, Anna Karaś
Mention
LCS
Claudio Pantano, Sara Girina, Lorenzo Miani
Mention
Wandoy Studio
Aidan Doyle, Sarah Wan
Mention
KC Architects
Kocheng Liu, Na Han
Mention
cesnecka
Martin Schusser, Viviane Willig
Mention
Hung Nguyen
Hung Nguyen, Uyen Nguyen
Mention
KaMa
Aleksandra Cassino, Marta Pietraszewska