NEWS
Students create Krump Park
Students across a range of disciplines have designed and built a pop-up “Krump Park” as part of a competition run by the RMIT Student Landscape Architecture Body (SLAB).
The competition invited RMIT students across all art and design disciplines to form small teams and submit design proposals for a pop-up park for the “Art of Buck” krumping event in Les Erdi Plaza.
The aim was to transform the plaza from a place that people pass through, to a space that encourages people to pause and occupy in new ways.
Designs were asked to include surfaces to sit, stand, observe from and participate in the krumping event, as well as suggest future design opportunities.
The winning team was made up of Bachelor of Landscape Architectural Design student Chelsea Yan, Bachelor of Architectural Design student Cindy Brigitta, Bachelor of Interior Design (Honours) student Cindy Devia Yuliani and Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) student Eloyn Aryapratama Tampake.
The international students decided to enter the design competition after completing foundation studies together.
Their inspiration behind the design was the krump dance movement itself, with the seating incorporating the hand gesture of krump and the sides representing the beat of the music.
“We think the event and our design was really successful, a lot of people attended and played around with our seating,” Yuliani said.
“We all entered the competition for the experience, not for any prizes, and we definitely gained skills we didn’t have before.”
Matthew Kneale, Landscape Architecture student and SLAB executive committee member, said the event was a fantastic opportunity for students to actually physically build designs, rather than simply create them theoretically.
“The competition enabled the winning team to actually employ the design and documentation skills they've learnt at RMIT in a real-world project, built and showcased in a public space,” he said.
Yuliani emphasised the benefits that a practical learning experience can have.
“Studying at RMIT is different to other universities; it focuses on skill and creativity in contrast to just theoretical approaches,” she said.
“An opportunity like this boosts our skills and knowledge and we are really excited to be able to put it on our resume in the future.
“We are very proud of our achievement.”
The student initiative was created as a fringe event of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects' national festival, This Public Life, with support from the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, SIGNAL art space, Wood Solutions, the Burncity Krump Community and the RMIT Student Union.
Be true to you: Study Landscape Architecture at RMIT in 2016.
Story: Emma Morgan