Young Filipino artists created giant-sized origami-inspired dragon figures at the Greenhills Mall to mark the momentous celebration of this year’s Chinese New Year.

The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is a festival that commemorates the arrival of a new period in the lunisolar calendar.

The Industrial Design students from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Environment and Design, in partnership with the advertising agencies American Creative Design Inc. and Brandaide, crafted 13-foot, 10-foot, and 8-foot installations for the 2024 Chinese Zodiac, the Wood Dragon.

The sign is anticipated to bring growth, improvement, and advancement, which makes it the ideal time for setting the foundation for long-term success.

The largest piece was made of metal frame and paneled with plastic sheets, while the other two fittings were based on corrugated boards with a metal spine for the hooks.

The students were mentored by educator Stuart Yang.

“We started by designing a paper origami version to help the production team understand each part to be constructed,” Yang explained.

“Once we made the appropriate dimensions, we started executing the larger scale and assembled them accordingly to the specs and dimensions of each scaled version.”

The group was composed of Sophia Gabrielle Achacoso, Ma. Minermila Espeleta, Shawn Espiritu, Christien Tan Lorenzo, Kyla Mahandog, Dustin Matthew Ngo, Ralph Gabriel Quintos, Roland Joseph Reynoso, Maria Sofia Rosario, and Jean Christian Tormes.

Quintos, one of the students, shared this was their first large-scale out-of-school project. They were able to collaborate with specialists and professionals from the industry.

Their creations were placed at the central ground floor display and ceiling of Greenhills Mall in San Juan City, Metro Manila.