PACMAN Recycling Containers Win Iberian Urban Equipment Prize

For the second consecutive year, Portuguese design office AND-RÉ has won the Iberian Urban Equipment Prize - Larus/Architectures, this year in the category Urban Furniture with "PACMAN", a captivating design that sets out to change the mindset of citizens in their relation with recycling. In 2011, the office won the award in the Lighting Design category with the "Verso" lighting system.

The Award, that aims to publicly recognize the best projects and pieces of urban infrastructure developed over the past five years, is organized by the Journal Architectures in partnership with Larus - Urban Design, with institutional support from the Portuguese Design Centre and DIMAD - Designers Association of Madrid.

Project Description from the Architects:

You woke up in a bland day, apparently just the same as others, with the morning sun slowly following the awakening. You came to the street, still slightly disoriented, and there was something different. You felt peculiar presences around you, but strangely you did not felt threatened.

Already awake, you realized that they had invaded the city. Perfectly round white skin creatures, distinguished from each other by the color of their mouths, were multiplying, rolling down the hills, scattered in groups and joining at strategic points. Then, they opened their blue, yellow, green and black mouths, and began eating all the garbage, in a careful manner, with amazing criteria. Now you were certain that these little funny soldiers had come in peace. You knew that they wouldn't attack and that they came with the purpose to protect you. You and your habitat. At this point, one of them came up to you smiling and said “one can resist an invading army, but one cannot resist the invasion of ideas”. (Victor Hugo)

Project Details:

Type: urban furniture / recycle bins / commissioned  
Prizes: Iberian Urban Equipment Prize - Larus/Arquitecturas 2012  
Status: implemented  
Location: Vilamoura, Portugal  
Date: 2008/10  
Promoter: Inframoura, Em  
Material: stainless steel structure and composite skin  
Team: Bruno André / Francisco Salgado Ré  
Mechanical development: alto