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MANILA, Philippines—Filipino Architect Gonzalo “Jun” Raymundo Jr. is one of the top 10 finalists in the prestigious Guggenheim Art Shelter Competition. At press time, he is leading the online voting poll for the award, the Philippine Embassy in Washington reported on Tuesday.
In his report to the home office, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Willy Gaa said Raymundo exhibited exceptional skill in his design.
“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,” Gaa said.
Raymundo, 55, who is based in Quezon City, said his design entry was inspired by the story of Salim and Jamal, the two kids in “Slumdog Millionaire,” a movie shot on location in India.
“I was deeply touched by the scenes in the garbage dump so I came up with a 3-D shelter design entry using a bamboo wall representing the Filipino spirit of bayanihan (community cooperation) of strength and hope,” Raymundo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview Tuesday.
According to the guggenheim.org website, Raymundo’s work, “A Bamboo Shelter in a Garbage Dump City,” is a shelter made of indigenous material built on a concrete base in 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.”
Competition sponsors Guggenheim and Google SketchUp invited amateur and professional designers to submit a 3-D shelter for any location in the world using Google SketchUp and Google Earth.
Nearly 600 contestants from 68 different countries submitted designs that met the competition requirements.
Current Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture students then selected 10 finalists for the People’s Prize award that will be chosen through online voting.
On Oct. 21, the People’s Prize winner will be announced along with a special Juried Prize chosen by a panel of experts who include Timothy Bade, principal of Bade Stageberg Cox; Victor Sidy, dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture; and Aidan Chopra, product evangelist of Google SketchUp.
Prestigious, easy
The Filipino-Canadian architect said he joined the competition because it was sponsored by one of the prestigious museums in New York.
Raymundo, who grew up in Pasig City, moved to Canada in 1989 and then to Ohio in 1995, before he and his wife, who is also an architect, finally returned to the Philippines in February this year. They have a 27-year-old daughter who works as a visual artist and grade school teacher in Vancouver.
By chance, Raymundo saw the announcement of the competition on the Web.
“It was easy to join; there were no fees. So I came up with a design and joined. And now I am one of the 10 finalists. I think God has a purpose for me,” he said in Filipino.
As of press time Tuesday, Raymundo was leading the online voting with more than 6,000 votes.
Vote now
The competition was open to submissions on June 8 and closed on Aug. 23. The online voting period runs until Oct. 10. The two winners (People’s and Juried Prizes) will be announced on Oct. 21, the 50th anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum.
The Juried Prize winner and one guest will be flown to New York City for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Google Offices.
The prize also includes two nights accommodation, a $1,000 cash award and Google SketchUp Pro license that has a $495 value.
The People’s Prize winner and one guest will also be flown to New York City for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Guggenheim Museum and the Google Offices. The prize also includes two nights accommodation and a Google SketchUp Pro license.
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
