“Peace and Power”, an installation that creatively invites shoppers to rest and recharge while charging their handphones, has come up tops in the inaugural edition of the URA-REDAS SPARK Challenge. The winning proposal, the brainchild of Galven Lee, 29, and Shirley Lee, 27, co-founders of start-up StandCraft Pte Ltd, was announced today at an award ceremony at Orchard Central. Guest of Honour Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development, gave out the top prize of $10,000. Consisting of an elegant pavilion-like structure, “Peace and Power” was designed by Galven and Shirley to help people find rest in the midst of busy shopping malls. As more people enter and execute restful actions such as sitting and laying down their handphones on wireless chargers, soft lights will illuminate the structure, and soothing music and sounds increase in musical complexity. This creates a sensory experience for those within the structure, and others passing by. “We wanted to create a space where interactions could happen within a public space – that’s why we designed it this way. And to bring a fun or memorable moment into the day,” said Shirley. “The intention is to create moments of delight that will break the monotony and improve the emotional wellness of people who experience it,” added Galven. The URA-REDAS SPARK Challenge seeks creative ideas that can raise the quality of the urban environment. This inaugural edition, launched last November by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore (REDAS), sought solutions to improve health and wellness within the urban environment. After an initial round of submissions by the public, prototypes of three shortlisted proposals were displayed across six malls from 25 June to 13 July. The other two proposals were “Take – 5! Stones” and “Buddy”. The former encouraged people to connect and take a break over a game of Five Stones, among Five Stone-shaped cushions in a variety of sizes for both children and adults. “Buddy” helped people to replace a negative emotion with a positive one. Users could relieve stress by hitting a punching bag, before they receive an uplifting message from the attached machine. The winner was decided by a panel of judges from URA, the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Home-Fix Pte Ltd. Besides the judges’ scores, the results of an online poll were also factored into the final results. In all, more than 850 votes were received from the public. “Overall, “Peace and Power” stood out due to its innovative design and outstanding workmanship. It also helps foster a restful environment. We hope these home-grown talents will continue to innovate,” said Low Cheong Kee, Managing Director of Home-Fix Pte Ltd, one of the judges. “Congratulations to the winning team for its well-thought-through and executed proposal. All the finalists submitted worthy proposals that were engaging and helped to meaningfully improve people’s experiences of their urban environment,” said Lim Eng Hwee, Chief Executive Officer of URA. “The shoppers at Raffles City Shopping Mall and Millenia Walk had an enjoyable time using “Peace and Power”. Such ideas from the public are always welcome to make our developments more relatable and engaging for them, and our public spaces more vibrant,” said REDAS President Augustine Tan. The next edition of the competition will be launched later this year, and tie in with the commemoration of Singapore’s bicentennial in 2019. It will provide a platform for project teams to examine and explore one of the themes of the Singapore Bicentennial – openness and connectivity.
Speech by Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development, at URA-REDAS Spark Challenge 2018 Award Ceremony