Industrial and Architectural Natural Stone Design Competition Launches “Design While Staying at Home” Call

Entries have opened for the "Industrial and Architectural Natural Stone Design Competition." Traditionally organized by Istanbul Mineral Exporters Association (İMİB), the competition is open to students from university industrial design, architecture and arts departments as well as sector professionals. Announced under the motto "Design from home for a stronger future, own both today and tomorrow," the competition deadline is 14 August. All competition processes will be conducted online. The 9th Industrial and Architectural Natural Stone Design Competition is being held to introduce Turkish natural stones to designers and architects for daily use, and to contribute to the design of original and industrially producible products. The competition is organized in two categories: 'student' and 'professional,' with winners in both categories eligible for total cash prizes worth TRY 86,000. Additionally, the top three students will receive overseas design education scholarships from the Turkish Ministry of Commerce. In the announcement, university students in industrial design, architecture and arts departments and sector professionals were called upon to create designs from home that take responsibility for both today and tomorrow. Participation in the competition is limited to one category only from among: "Architecture, Urban Areas, Decorative Products, Furniture, New Approaches and Applications for Living Spaces (Walls, Flooring), Bathroom and Kitchen, Public Space Sculptures." Use of Turkish natural stones is mandatory in the competition. The following materials are recommended as priority: marble, travertine, granite, onyx, slate, limestone, andesite and basalt, which together account for USD 1.8 billion in total mineral exports. Awards will be presented to winners at Design Week Turkey 2020. Design Week Turkey, which contributes to the development of design culture in Turkey and the promotion of Turkish designers worldwide, is held annually in November. Entry to the competition is available through the "dogaltastasarimyarismasi" website. No documents or boards are required for participation. The final application deadline is 14 August 2020.