The Bee Breeders has announced a new Black Balsam Laboratories competition and is looking for designs to help bartenders and cocktail makers invent the next big drink. The traditional Latvian liquor has a long history of being enjoyed for its bold and unique taste, dating back to the 1700s.

Riga Black Balsam is an iconic traditional Latvian drink, created from a combination of 24 ingredients, including herbs, roots, berries, and fruit juices. Its smooth and versatile taste can be enjoyed any number of ways, though it is often taken neat, or mixed into a cocktail of choice. More and more lately, younger audiences have begun to recognize that Black Balsam is great when mixed into cocktails.

In an attempt to further entice the younger fan base, the traditional Latvian liquor is launching the Black Balsam Laboratories competition, in which cocktail "workstations" would be situated in numerous locations around the world. The laboratories would need to accommodate one workstation for the bartender, as well as an area where visitors would be invited to mix and experiment in order to create their own Balsam-based cocktails.

For the Black Balsam Laboratories competition, participants are asked to present designs for a transportable structure that could be used to experiment with cocktail combinations in order to create the next trendy drink.

The structure would need to accommodate one workstation (find recommended dimensions in the downloads folder) for a bartender, as well as an area for up to 10 other workstations for visitors to use and experiment in order to create their own cocktails.

The structure must be designed so that it can be easily assembled and disassembled, with all the parts fitting into 1 container 8ft (2.43m) wide, 8.5ft (2.59m) high and 20ft (6.06m) long in size.

The Black Balsam Laboratories will likely be used mostly at indoor events, but should be capable of operating outdoors in a warm, dry climate on occasion. It is important that the design represent both the traditional aspects of the drink, as well as the ambition to attract new audiences with a fresh approach to the beverage.

Eligibility

Competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum).

Language

Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English. All information submitted by participants must be in English

Prizes

1st prize: US $3,000 / Publications Certificate of Achievement

2nd prize: US $1,500 / Publications Certificate of Achievement

3rd prize: US $500 / Publications Certificate of Achievement

BB Student Award: US $500  (more details here) / Publications Certificate of Achievement

BB Green Award: US $500 (more details here) / Publications Certificate of Achievement

The competition will select 6 Honorable Mentions

Construction: Riga Black Balsam have expressed an intent to develop the structure in the future.

Publication: The winners will get international art and design media coverage and will be featured on the Bee Breeders website and social pages. 

Certificate: Bee Breeders will also acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honourable mentions with Certificates of Achievement.

Jury panel is composed of Audrey McKee from Renzo Piano Building Workshop in France, Carlos M Guimarães – depA, correspondent of A10 magazine in Portugal, Daniel Jacobs from SHoP Architects, New York City, USA, Gemawang Swaribathoro from OMA, Hong Kong, John Paul Rysavy from SHoP Architects, New York City, USA; And-Either-Or Austin, Texas and Brooklyn, New York, USA. See the competition's full jury panel here.

Key dates for the competition

Closing date for registration: 20 April, 2018

Closing date for project submission: 24 May, 2018 (11.59pm GMT)

Announcement of the winners: 20 June, 2018

Competition brief, photographs and 2D - 3D images of the site can be downloaded from the competition website. Contact Bee Breeders to receive special student rates for group registrations (discount applies for 3+ registrations from one university/school) and to receive further information and support for getting your students involved in architecture competitions. 

World Architecture Community is media partner for Bee Breeders Architecture Competitions. 

Top image courtesy of Bee Breeders 

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