Matthew Poon shortlisted for the Architecture Drawing Prize 2020

Matthew was part of the 2019/20 Architecture MArch cohort. His drawing “Polymorphous Spatial Monosodium Glutamate” was included in the Hand-Drawn Shortlist.

This drawing investigates the uncanniness between the reality that we experience on a day-to-day basis, and the unreal encounters within the world of virtual realities. The resultant architecture is a massive arcade, 'alive' with character, behaviour, and reaction.

Mood, essence, details, and nuance were embedded in particular moments that narrates the life out of these individual pockets of spaces. Each specific arrangement was handcrafted, as well as the hidden stories that drove the forms, ready for viewers to savour. Instead of showing a surgical dissection, the drawing presents a dioramic entanglement to suggest how things would look like.

It conveys the authenticity and the intensity of the flavours, through a composite of juicy section cuts to reveal the architecture’s bone marrow and living organs.

The Prize is curated by Make Architects, the World Architecture Festival and Sir John Soane’s Museum, and celebrates international talent in the field of Artchitectural Drawing. The shortlisted entries will all be displayed at the Sir John Soane’s Museum in January, when the category winners and overall winner will be announced. Winners will also receive a delegate pass to the World Architecture Festival, hosted at the Royal Festival Hall, to be presented with their award and see their work on display.

The judging panel includes artists, architects from practices including Foster + Partners and Make Architects, the World Architecture Festival Programme Director Paul Finch and the Sir John Soane’s Museum Curator of Exhibitions, Louise Stewart.

“The hand-drawn category was the largest and this reflects the continuing importance of this practice for architects. A pen or pencil can be a tool to aid creative thinking and architectural innovation and this was amply demonstrated by the entries we received.

- Louise Stewart, Curator of Exhibitions, Sir John Soane’s Museum – 2020 Judge

“I would like to thank my legendary tutors for the nourishment, and the Bartlett for encouraging individuality and peculiarity to blossom. 

- Matthew Poon

Matthew also had further success last week, as the same drawing was selected as a finalist in the AIA Dallas Ken Roberts Memorial Delineation Competition 2020 (KRob 2020).

More information

• See the full Architecture Drawing Prize shortlist
• View a hi-res image of Matthew’s drawing
• See the KRob 2020 Winners and Finalists list
• Hear the KRob judges’ comments on Matthew’s drawing on YouTube
• Architecture MArch

Image: Polymorphous Spatial Monosodium Glutamate - Matthew Poon