Project opens in June
FLINT -- A team of architects based in London, known as "Two Islands", has won a $25,000 prize in the inaugural Flat Lot Competition to design and build a temporary summer pavilion in downtown Flint. The project opens June 14 for Flint Art Walk and will remain on the site until fall.
According to a news release, 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.
“We’re thrilled that the first design-build competition organized by Flint Public Art Project and AIA-Flint produced a beautiful symbol of a new city,” says Stephen Zacks, executive director of Flint Public Art Project.
Flint Public Art Project and AIA-Flint launched the competition last fall. 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.
More details are expected Thursday morning, when the group holds a news conference.
