RICE Lab stands for Research In Competition and Exhibition Laboratory, at School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
 

Mission
In light of the Pearl River Delta becoming a locus of cultural and creative productions, RICE Lab at the School of Design aims to actively investigate therefore understand the emerging practice, conditions, and organization of design competition and exhibition in the Asian context.
 

Objectives

• Develop guidelines, structures and policies for design competition and exhibition projects
• Advise government, authorities and commissioning bodies on best practice in design competition and exhibition
• Explore alternative paradigms, methodologies, instruments and models of competitions and exhibitions
• Archival of significant design competitions and exhibitions in Hong Kong and East Asia
• Connect design community in Pearl River Delta with the World, through competitions and exhibitions
• Integrate student participation and learning in a research context
• Disseminate knowledge for a wider group of stakeholders in and related to cultural and creative productions
   

Prospective Partners

• Art, design and architecture foundations, councils, museums and exhibition centres in East Asia
• Cultural and creative districts
• Large-scale creative and cultural events in the region
• Governments and think-tanks
• Professional institutes and promotional agencies of creativity
• Corporate, NGO and NPO design service users

Research Portfolio (- Mar 2010)

1. Baseline survey of current Biennales, Design fairs and Expositions in East Asia (Phase I)
2. Displacements: Hong Kong Environment and Interior Designers in China, 1979-2009
3. The Asian Biennale: researching micro-scenarios for a creative Randstad (funding to be secured)
4. Very Hong Kong: 12 Architectural and Interior cases (chapter in Very Hong Kong, John Heskett ed.)
5. Design researches in
   1. Biennales (Venice Biennale 2006, 2008; Hong Kong-Shenzhen Biennales 2007, 2009)
   2. Student exhibitions (e.g. SD Annual Show 2009; SD at Shanghai Biennale 2008; SD at BoDW 2008)
   3. Traveling exhibitions (e.g. NAi in Hong Kong 2008; Urban trilogy 2004)
   4. Community exhibitions (e.g. Home design 2010; Third horizon 2005)
   5. Young designer exhibitions (e.g. Detour 2009; China Becomings 2009)
   6. Professional exhibitions (e.g. SICIW 2007)
6. Design researches in
   1. Regional competitions (e.g. China Architecture Media Awards 2010)
   2. Local competitions (e.g. Sustainable Building Design Competition 2009)

Projects-in-Line (2010-2011)

1. Sustainable Exhibition Architecture (PHASE I & II): the Book Fair Experiment
2. Wan Chai Visual Archive: synergizing Cultural hospitality, Community arts and Urban redevelopment
3. Interventions: international competition for installing vacant lots in Asian compact cities
4. Asian MUSCON (Museum Network Conference) 2010
5. Detour 2010
    

Tel: (852) 2766 5470

Email: sday@polyu.edu.hk

Contact Person: Alvin Yip