THE recent 3rd Annual Visionary Awards Competition (AVID) Awards Night at the SM City North EDSA Skydome showcased some of the most exciting and innovative designs for a National Pavilion. Spearheaded by Bluprint Magazine, the Philippine’s design source, this year’s prestigious competition focused on the design of a National Pavilion for a future World’s Fair using native construction materials.

The theme was inspired by SM & QC: Vision of a City, a mall exhibit held earlier this year featuring the late President Manuel L. Quezon’s plans to hold a World’s Fair in the site that SM City North EDSA now stands. While the plans, as fate would have it did not materialize, another visionary SM Founder and Chairman Henry Sy, Sr. instead built his first shopping mall in the site, leading the way to the malling phenomenon in the Philippines.

The competition emphasized nationalism in design with the goal to produce an inviting and creative venue that Filipinos can proudly show to the world. Inspired by the tag line The Philippines: We’ve Got It All For You, entries should be able to contain exhibits of Philippine culture, creativity, and industry that reflect Filipino values and achievements.

The challenge proved to be a success with more than 50 entries submitted in the Professional Visionary, Young Professional Visionary, and General Public Visionary categories. A Juror’s Choice Award was also given to a special entry chosen by the board of judges, while a People’s Choice Award was given to the entry with the most public votes in the BluPrint facebook page.

Architect Jonathan Dangue of UAP Intramuros’s Perspective was named Grand Prize winner in the Professional Visionary category; while The Pearl by Jose Bernadbe, Daryl Refuerzo, and Nino Ricardo topped the Young Professional Visionary entries, and also received the special Juror’s Choice award. Butanding, a design inspired by Donsol’s whale sharks, won the General Public Visionary category for Jose Panelo, Patrick and Rica Castaneda. Taklobo, a work by Adamson University students won the People’s Choice award.

All winners as well as runners up received cash prizes from Bluprint, a plaque especially designed by Autodesk, and gift certificates from SM. Their winning works will be featured in an issue of Bluprint Magazine.

The distinguished board of judges, which consisted of some of the who’s who in the Philippine design milieu – BluPrint Editor in Chief Paulo Alcazaren, UP College of Architecture Dean Mary Ann Espina, Architect Royal Pineda, Architect Dominic Galicia, and Architect Dan Lichauco – were amazed at the entries.

The evening’s guests, Autodesk Country Manager Teddy Tiu, Challenge Systems President Richard Padilla, Motorola Country Sales Manager Jasmin So, and Architect Johnny Hubilla were equally impressed, as was the program host ANC’s Twink Macaraeg. BluPrint Magazine staffers as well as SM executives led by Vice President for Marketing Millie Dizon Regional Operations Manager Renee Bacani, AVP for Marketing Ruby Reyes, and Mall Manager Hershee Angeles welcomed them.