THEME
The theme for FAB FEST this year is Digital City. FAB FEST challenges creative minds to imagine and realise architectural concepts for the cities of tomorrow. We live in a complex and rapidly changing world in which the digital is now ubiquitous. Our personal, social and professional lives are increasingly mediated by digital technologies, and as architects and designers, we have unprecedented opportunities to innovate including computational design, robotic fabrication, and the internet of things.
FAB FEST this year asks designers to reflect on and offer creative responses to the contemporary digital condition. Proposals might push the boundaries for the digital production of architecture, or engage with wider aspects of how the digital affects our architecture, cities and daily lives. The challenge is to propose a compelling and engaging proposal for a pavilion or installation to explore and manifest your ideas. What does the Digital City mean to you as a designer?
PROGRAMME
The briefs for FAB FEST are intentionally open. We want participants to be able to explore their personal interests and approach to design within a broad, shared theme. The festival aims at gathering different ideas from around the world, and we want our international visitors to express ideas from their unique cultural perspective. Teams should however bear in mind the context in which the pavilions and installations will be exhibited, and ensure that their proposals make a positive contribution to the collective event.
The programme for pavilions should respond to the brief, while also helping to facilitate the festival. The pavilions and installations will be inhabited over a number of days by both the other participants in the festival, and the general public engaging in a variety of activities. One of the criteria for assessment of pavilions will be the success with which projects facilitate FAB FEST events. There are plenty of clues from previous pavilions about what pavilions might offer, but the exact contribution of the pavilions to the festival is left to the imagination and ingenuity of the participants.
SITE
FAB FEST takes place in and around Ambika P3 in Central London. Ambika P3 was once the cavernous construction hall at the heart of the University of Westminster’s Marylebone campus, but has been transformed into a critically acclaimed exhibition venue. For nine days each Summer, it becomes the home of FAB FEST. Each team will be allocated a site for their project in P3. The positioning of sites will take into account the design intent of the projects as well as the practical requirements of the festival. They will this year also be decided in advance, during the design development phase. Priority in the space will be given to those teams that keep to the timeline and submit their proposals by the required deadlines.