Volvo Car Malaysia and digital publisher Aurizn (who operate EVOMALAYSIA) together with real estate developer BÖN Estates recently hosted the Volvo Aurizn Design Challenge. This interior design competition invited Malaysian interior design firms to combine the best of Scandinavian design, of which Volvo Car is famous for, with local, Asian influences. Grov Design Studio from Penang had captured the top spot.
Volvo Car Malaysia had decided to be co-organiser of such a design competition because the company has believed and promoted the universal appeal of Scandinavian design which intends to make lives easier and more enjoyable whilst protecting the things that people care most about, which is the family unit or the environment. Most are aware that Volvo’s new design direction and styling of their latest line-up of vehicles have received critical acclaim from international automotive and design communities for both exterior and interior design.
With the Volvo Aurizn challenge, Volvo Car Malaysia feels that it can promote arts and craft as well as give back a little to the people where they are located. Their participation is an extension of the Volvo, or Scandinavian lifestyle which they wish to promote. Not only in their cars, but on a more holistic level.
When it came to the Volvo Aurizn Design Challenge, the organisers had identified The Estate, an award-winning high-end residence located in the South of Bangsar, to hold the final leg of this competition. The Estate is a development project carried out by Bön Estates. According to the people at Bon Estates, "The Estate harmoniously unites the use of natural elements with modern technology to deliver a more holistic and well-crafted high-end living, identifying well with Volvo’s own design tenets."
As part of the design challenge, interior design firms were tasked with envisioning and bringing to life concepts that would combine the influences of Volvo’s distinct Swedish design language and BÖN Estates’ very own “Five Elements” inspired design philosophy that is prevalent at its flagship project, The Estate @ South Bangsar (living room concept at the show unit above). There has to be a blend between the two. Somewhat different as The Estates was about tropical living in the city and then you add that Scandinavian element into the picture...The cool Nordic feel of things is quite a challenge.
But seven finalists were identified via an elaborate selection process that considered the form, function, purpose and aesthetics of initial conceptual designs. The designers from the respective firms were treated to day out with the new Volvo S90 T8Twin Engine accompanied by members of the Aurizn editorial team. So it wasn't just building interiors but they got to view and experience the cars. This would get them to understand the design brief even more. After their day out with the Volvo cars, the finalists had to submit their final design of an apartment interior based on the specifications of an actual unit at The Estate.
GROV Design Studio, won the event (design shown above). Their win was determined via a vote by attendees at the event as all finalists basically managed to combine the Scandinavian astethics with Bon Estate's design language. The grand prize was an all-expense paid trip to Volvo’s home and headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden.
However, it wasn't a loss for the other finalists, each design firm including Grov Design Studio was invited to join BÖN Estates’ panel of designers for current and future projects. Coming out top in a design competition is one was of making yourself known to developers. This is a top tip for aspiring I.D people, okay.
It was quite an interesting event for Yours Truly. You can see that the Malaysian automotive scene is quite vibrant and that automotive companies do other things aside from just the cars they sell. Well, I have said many times that there is more to life than just cars, trucks or buses. Sometimes, there are interior design competitions.
L to R : Chan Jin- Wy, Commercial Director Bon Estates; Bobby Ang, Editor In Chief, Aurizn; Lennart Stegland, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia; Cherry Yeoh, Grov Design Studio; Angeline Liau, Marketing Director of Bön Estates.
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