“Through the Years, To Touch You” designed by Prof. Tristan BRAUD and Mr. Brian LAU from the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD), in collaboration with Dr. Christopher CHAN and Ms. Dominie CHAN, has received the prestigious iF Design Award 2026 in the Art & Cultural Exhibitions/Installations discipline, under the Interior Architecture category. This accolade recognizes the project as one of the top entries among 10,000 submissions from 68 countries. 

The project is a site-specific installation on the ruins of an old pier in Hong Kong’s historic island village of Yim Tin Tsai. It combines a moongate built by a 4th-generation master bamboo scaffolding master with a poem rendered in three-dimensional, augmented-reality calligraphy utilizing technology developed by Prof. Braud’s Extended Reality and Interactive Media Lab at HKUST.

This digital poem was created through a live performance blending dance, original music, and villagers’ narrated memories of departure and reunion. The project employed a self-developed AR system to overlay animated digital strokes onto the physical landscape, engaging audiences with the rural cultural heritage in a multi-sensory experience.

Established in 1953, the iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the most prestigious global design awards. Every year, several thousand designers, architects and companies from all over the world take part to have their design evaluated by an independent jury of internationally recognized design and sustainability experts.

The award winners will celebrate their achievements at the iF DESIGN AWARD Night 2026 in Berlin on April 26, 2026. Please join us in congratulating ISD Faculty Prof. Braud and Mr. Lau, as well as the ISD students who supported the development of this project. 

Learn more about the project: https://artrio.org/TTY2/