How would you design a bicycle stand to celebrate the world’s biggest cycle race coming to your town?

Harrogate school boy, William Hunt aged 10, took inspiration from the steep terrain of the Yorkshire Dales to win the BikeBay design competition run by the North Yorkshire Society of Architects (NYSA) to create a bicycle stand that represents the Yorkshire region for the Tour de France.

Will saw his design turn into reality with a full size version being made by the Yorkshire based company Stage One who also produced the 2012 Olympic Cauldron. The winning design was unveiled at the start of the Tour de France celebrations in the official Tour de France Fan Park, presented by Nuffield Health, on West Park Stray between 04 and 06 July.

On winning the completion William Hunt said:
“Winning felt absolutely amazing as I hadn’t really designed anything before, so when I found out I was delighted. Visiting the Stage One factory to discuss my design, and knowing the bike bay will be situated in Harrogate is great.”

666 primary school children from North Yorkshire took part in 17 design workshops, led by local architect volunteers. 262 of these children went on to enter the competition producing imaginative ideas that range from shelters shaped like bicycle helmets, giant Yorkshire puddings squirting out gravy and a solitary sheep standing in a field of white Yorkshire roses. Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate, Anthony Clerici, Vice President of Royal Institute of British Architects and Tim Leigh, Director of Stage One had the unenviable task of choosing the winners.

 

This website is a celebration of all of these great ideas. Please enjoy!