M.ART 2013 winners update the traditional arts+crafts marketplace

Opengap recently revealed the winners of the M.ART 2013 Ideas Competition. The open competition had participants mix traditional elements of the commercial arts-and-crafts market with a contemporary twist. Proposals also had to emphasize the value of handcrafted work and the craftsman-client relationship.

The competition jury met in Guadalajara, Mexico on Jan. 23, 2014 to evaluate all the entries until eventually selecting the top three winners and two special mentions.

Scroll down further to see them all.

The M.ART 2013 jury comprised of: Alejandro Guerrero, Architect; Jorge Rivera, Architect; and Juan López Vergara Newton, Architect.

First place winners: Zuhal Kol (Turkey); Carlos Zarco Sanz (Spain)
2,000 Euros (approx. US $2,700)

"Highlights of the jury: The proposal attacks and resolves the issue of competition in a very direct and risky way by taking an obsolete structure with much social significance and reinterpreting it.   It is very interesting how the project involves some resounding architectural elements and discounts others without losing the character of a market. It is also valuable how it resolves and potentiates the relationship with the context and the use of the building as  public space. It is remarkable the way the project generates new interesting spaces from an existing structure."

Second place winners: Victor Bouman Casas, Pol Mercadé Armengol (Spain)
1,000 Euros (approx. US$1,300)

"Highlights of the jury: Beyond the formal solution and the use of containers, the strength of this approach lies in its ability to challenge the current world trade system, criticizing the consumption chain and giving the artisans a different perspective allowing them to personally bring their product to the end consumer. The proposed mobility of the project, in this case on a boat, results in a market that is constantly changing its context. It is remarkable how the proposal includes inputs to the program, generating a type of  'floating artisans neighborhood.'"

Third place winners:  Inés Antón Losada, Marta Antón de Zafra (Spain)
500 Euros (approx. US$680)

"Highlights of the jury: The proposal achieves a high grade of spatial quality using a common and inexpensive   component. Intentions are denoted in the arrangement of the modules, masterfully managing the free space and generating "patios" in the interstices. This is a project that denotes the authors’ skills with a remarkable level of development and the graphic quality of the proposal is indisputable."

Images courtesy of Opengap.

Click the thumbnails below to see the Special Mention entries.