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MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino architect Gonzalo ?Jun? Raymundo, Jr. was selected as one of the top 10 finalists in the prestigious Guggenheim Art Shelter Competition and has been leading the online voting polls for the award, the Philippine Embassy in Washington reported on Tuesday.
The Guggenheim Art Shelter Competition is an exhibition contest sponsored by the Guggenheim Museum and Google SketchUp. It is open to both amateur and professional designers who are challenged to come up with various 3D designs inspired from different shelters in any part of the world using Google SketchUp and Google Earth.
Submissions were received from nearly 600 contestants in 68 countries around the world. Ten finalists were then drawn from this pool of contestants for the People?s Prize Award, which will be chosen through an online public voting.
In his report to the home office, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Willy Gaa said that Raymundo has exhibited exceptional skill in design and architecture.
?Truly, his work best reflects ingenuity, workmanship and culture that the Filipino people can be proud of. I encourage members of the Filipino community to extend their support to Mr. Raymundo by casting their votes for his meritorious piece of art,? he said.
Raymundo?s work entitled, ?A Bamboo Shelter in a Garbage Dump City,? is a bamboo design shelter built on a concrete base situated at a garbage dump in the Philippines. The bamboo wall represents a strong sense of camaraderie or ?bayanihan? to signify that ?where there is unity, there is strength.? His work collectively symbolizes ?sustainability and hope.?
The competition opened last June 8, was closed to submissions on August 23, and will end on October 21, the 50th anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum?s opening, when two prizes, a Jury Prize and a People?s Prize, will be awarded. The voting period will run until October 10.
A link to the voting page can be accessed at: http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/education/sackler-center/design-it-shelter/vote-for-shelters .
Raymundo is based in Quezon City.
