Tainan’s historic Hayashi Department Store is one of 10 Grand Award winners in this year’s Design for Asia (DFA) Awards, winning the prize for most influential landmark in Asia.
The DFA Awards is the flagship program of the Hong Kong Design Centre. Now in their 13th year, the awards celebrate “design excellence and acknowledges outstanding designs with Asian perspective.”
This year’s other Grand Award winners came from Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Photo: Liu Wan-chun, Taipei Times
The DFA panel awarded the Hayashi Department Store a prize due to its status as a cultural landmark and the culture and design-related activities it has promoted, especially an annual parade.
The store was entered in last year’s contest in the same category, but did not win.
Kaoching Develop Co, which manages the store, said it was “pleased to see the official announcement acknowledging an entry from Taiwan.”
The store’s success was made possible by Tainan residents, cultural figures and Taiwan’s fashion designers, and the honor of the award “belongs to Tainan and Taiwan,” it added.
Hayashi is scheduled to mark its 85th anniversary next month, and is to celebrate on Saturday by hosting its annual “Modern Old Town Parade” showcasing local culture and designs created by young Taiwanese studying at several universities and vocational schools.
The store also holds lectures and talks on design and local culture on a monthly basis, with an aim of increasing its appeal to international tourists, Kaoching Develop Co said.
A total of 176 entrants were recognised in this year’s awards in 22 categories: the 10 Grand winners, one Grand Award for Culture, one Grand Award for Sustainability, one Grand Award for Technology, seven finalists, 17 Gold Awards, 32 Silver Awards, 46 Bronze Awards, and 61 Merit Awards.
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