reviving mines: shandong park competition calls for imaginative natural designs

exploring how to reform the damaged and dismissed into new valuable opportunities, non architecture has opened the reviving mines: shandong park competition. located near the district of zibo, the third largest by population within the shandong province, china, the competition pinpoints a site of a former keystone mine. these excavation activities have marked the rural area – once characterized by woodlands and villages – with interventions to the ecosystem. the competitions calls for creatives to envisage and enliven a new purpose and value for the area, which unique cultural, ecological and social conditions.

free to enter, non architecture calls for registrations until october 18th, here.

all images courtesy of non architecture

non architecture is an international initiative that imagines the world as unexplored designs with countless possibilities. they call upon the worldwide creative community to investigate everything that is not architecture yet. they hope for unconventional designs that solve pressing issues, and the shandong park competition exemplifies this mission. it is first one of the reviving competitions, which are part of a series of initiatives related to specific site conditions and local challenges.

first and foremost, the reviving mines: shandong park competition is seeking creative proposals that push boundaries beyond standardized models for development; proposals should explore new approaches. the dismissed, former keystone mines are the focus of the development, as they hope to find and bring new value to the damaged ecosystem. as well as giving new life to the site, the area should reinforce local communities. the location should turn into a cultural and creative park that attracts tourists and creatives alike, and generate new economy to the community.

submissions must only include three drawings. these proposals can range from any creative form of spatial design, from pavilions to landscape design and from complete urban plans to furniture design. each project can focus on one detailed feature of the park or the complete area, which includes the rural villages as much as the mine quarries and natural zones. once registered, participants will receive ‘key competitions insights’ with more information on the location and design process.

a respected panel of jurors will select the three winners as well as six honorable mentions. these nine designs and their creators will receive highly sought after publication on the non architecture website on top of multiple reviews in digital magazines and architectural blogs around the world. as well as this international recognition, the three winners will also receive cash prizes: €7,000 euro for first place; €2,000 euro for second; and €1,000 euro for third prize.

non architecture’s reviving mines: shandong park competition is free and open to all to enter, from any age, location and cultural background. proposals can be made by individuals or groups, limited a maximum of five people per team. registration is open now until october 18th when the submissions period starts. submissions close on october 31st with the winners announced on november 22nd.

are you inspired to bring new life to a former mining district? register for non architecture’s reviving mines: shandong park competition now, here.