The A' Design Award returns with a fresh lineup of winners and a call for submissions, pushing the boundaries of creative design with a clear message: "good design deserves great recognition." This year, 278 jurors reviewed entries across 185 unique categories that also includes Good Industrial Design Award, Good Product Design Award, Architecture Design Award, spotlighting the best of the best.
Believing in the power of great design and publicity, this platform is for designers to showcase their talent, offering everything from exposure to global recognition and inspiring future creations. The A' Design Award stands out with free sign-ups, allowing designers to upload work, receive a preliminary score, and nominate their creations–all without the typical costs. Once submitted, entries face a rigorous review by an international jury of academics, design professionals and press members. New this year is the A' Design Award and Competition´s preliminary evaluation and checking, offering feedback before the finals.
Winners enjoy more than just a title–think exhibition, yearbook features, PR and global publicity, world design rankings, and a personalized newsroom space on DESIGN/Newswire service. The winner will get a sale listing, translation of their works in more than 100 languages, inclusion in GOOD and BDCN networks, to name a few. To top that up, the artist will join a gala-night for networking.
Previously, we showcased highlights from last year's Furniture Design and Architecture, Building and Design categories, but the competition has even more in store from 2023/2024. Further categories are available here. Meanwhile, here are some of last year´s gold and platinum winners in the Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design category. While designing a single piece is one challenge, but creating an entire experience is another. Merging the art, science and business of customer engagement, these designs masterfully translate narratives into immersive physical spaces, connecting with audiences on multiple levels through thoughtful, layered environments.
Arc´teryx Flagship Store by Still Young
Arc´teryx, the renowned Canadian brand for cutting-edge outdoor gear, brought the wild spirit of Vancouver to its Beijing flagship store, designed by Still Young. Inspired by the rugged mountains and forests, the space showcases the brand´s innovation through sleek acrylic and metal displays. Cozy elements like timber-pile tables, fabric sofas, and decorative stoves add a warm, woodland feel, blending nature with modern design.
Chanba Poly by Renata Yin
Inspired by the Grand Theater, Renata Yin designed Xi'an Chanba Poly Grand Theater to capture the city's vibrant spirit. Using a mix of materials–artificial stone, metal grilles, aluminum and sound-absorbing panels–the design blends modernity with tradition, and art with functionality.
Artifact by Nelson Chow
Artifact is a speakeasy bar hidden behind a secret passage inside BaseHall, Hong Kong's newest dining destination and luxury food hall in the heart of Central. Tiles shaped as mini speakers and ribs molded in a 3D mold, casted in sections with fiberglass and assembled in situ–the bar gives a sci-fi look mixed with a setting that breathes privacy.
Royal One by Kris Lin
Kris Lin´s interpretation of privacy resulted in a high-end club giving space for social interaction with functional areas–dining room, wine cellar, and teppanyaki restaurant. Using spatial planning, the creative team translated owner´s passion for wine and gourmet goods by designing a circular hall and including a water droplet-inspired artwork that changes with the light.
S House by Go Fujita
Go Fujita designed S House, which is a refined three-story concrete exposed house located in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture. The design incorporates a Japanese perspective, creating a blurred relationship between the interior and exterior, with gently rising exterior walls of varying heights serving as boundaries for the outside noise. Tatami-finished walls adorned with contemporary art and geometric simplicity adds to the modern privacy and atmosphere.
Shanghai Qian Mo Fu Restaurant by Hong Liu
Nestled within the heart of Shanghai's bustling Bund, the Shanghai Qian Mo Fu Restaurant melds the tranquility of natural landscapes with modernization. The restaurant is mainly constructed with rammed earth, glass, and terrazzo. The juxtaposition of water-patterned metallic materials and rammed earth is a contemplative dialogue between the old and new.
World Laureats Forum by SHXDAL
The interior of the World Laureates Forum draws its aesthetic elements and design inspiration from the concept of where sunlight and clouds wander together. The design of the entire project aims to reflect the distinctive characteristics and essence of the Lingang New Area. The permanent venue of the top scientists' forum integrates conference and exhibition halls, a digital library, hotel banquet facilities, and commercial performances.
Yinchuang Zhong Shu Ge by Masato Kure and Masashi Ota
Masato Kure and Masashi Ota redefined the bookstore experience in a Yinchuan mall, blending functional design with artistic flair. Their intricate, intersecting bookshelves create a striking, dynamic space that invites visitors to linger and explore. The designers used VR to perfect the layout, fine-tuning the height and arrangement of shelves to simulate the experience of walking through space. The result is a visually captivating, community-focused environment.
Yangguang City No.9 by Saiwen Liu
The design of this project focuses on rationalizing the space. It takes inspiration from FengHuang, an immortal bird in Chinese mythology, representing balance and harmony in the universe. The wall shapes are reminiscent of the flowing tail feathers of FengHuang, which accentuates the dimensions of space. Light strip embedded within the curves imitates a dancing phoenix.
Supa Fama by Shelley Mock
The restaurant is an exploration of the machine-made vs the natural, the geometric vs the organic; conceived as a steampunk version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Supa Fama promotes locally sourced food, farm fresh products, aiming to educate on the importance of using quality ingredients from a known source. The creatives built this ethos into the design by using flora and fauna details.
The deadline for applications is September 30, so there's still time! The winners will be revealed on May 1, 2025 and featured on our platform. Nominate your designs here and learn more about the competition by following the news on A' Design Award & Competition website.
