With a 40% increase of entries and over 100,000 public votes, this year’s awards have been one of the most globally represented editions to date, and include industry talent from over 40 countries across the globe.
The competition this year was as impressive as ever, with some of the world’s best known hotel chains, retail, technology and automotive brands in the shortlist of finalists. The winners equally represent 4 continents worldwide with winning projects from the UAE, USA, Hong Kong, Egypt and more.
“The Overall Winner Award, a category which holds the title as the ‘SBID choice’, was awarded to Singapore and London-based practice WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design for The Whale Bar at the St Regis Hotel in the Maldives”
Winning an SBID International Design Award is truly a high achievement; all 14 categories are assessed by a technical panel, a public vote and a panel of leading industry experts, who look for outstanding examples of technical content and aesthetic creativity. Now in their seventh year, the SBID Awards are regarded as one of the highest accolades of interior design excellence; the annual event continues to reward and celebrate outstanding projects and products from the industry at large.
The Overall Winner Award, a category which holds the title as the ‘SBID choice’, was awarded to Singapore and London-based practice WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design for The Whale Bar at the St Regis Hotel in the Maldives.
This title is given to the project that receives the highest score after both the judges’ choices and the public votes have been considered. Inspired by the shape of the majestic whale shark and set overlooking the Indian Ocean, the Whale Bar has taken cues from marine iconography and the natural surroundings. The design team harnessed traditional Maldivian crafts such as pyrography and marine themes to create a welcoming, wondrous space that exudes luxury, nature-inspired design and local artistry.
Soft lighting, pale oak and a signature ceiling mural make this an unforgettable space that draws together the beauty of the natural environment and innovative hospitality design. The flowing structure opens out onto an open-air terrace, with the main aperture allowing guests to perfectly view the sunset, one of the most magical natural aspects of the location.
SBID President, Vanessa Brady OBE says: “We’re now in the seventh edition of the Awards and each year the support and volume of entries surprise and delight us. Now a firmly established event on the international design calendar, the SBID Awards is one of the most exciting celebrations of design excellence for the global industry.”
The design-savvy public were invited to vote for their favourite projects which accounted for 30% of the final results.
Each year, the SBID International Design Awards selects an individual who has against all odds successfully championed a specific sector of the creative industries. This year, British designer Sebastian Conran was awarded with the SBID Fellow of the Year 2017 title. The award-winning designer has created iconic pieces for leading brands, including Vitra, John Lewis, Yotel and Nigella and is a life-long champion of excellence in design.
All winners received a beautiful SBID International Award 2017 trophy, specially made by Czech glass specialists; Sans Souci Glass Deco.
The winners of this year’s SBID International Design Awards are:
Hotel Public Space
Wanda Hotel Design Institute for Wanda Reign Chengdu Hotel
Hotel Bedrooms & Suites
BAR Studio for Grand Hyatt Hong Kong – Ambassador Harbour View Suite
Retail Design
LXA for Intersect by Lexus
Public Space Design
Bluehaus Group for Orbi Dubai
Show Flats and Development
David Chang Associates International for Grand Influx Presentation Center
Office Design
Elkus Manfredi Architects for Potamus Trading
Healthcare Design
CSISZER Design Studio for Apheresis Centre
Residential Design Project over £1M
Fenton Whelan for Greybrook House Penthouse
Residential Apartment under £1M
DAR Designs for Parkview Residence
Residential House under £1M
Bernard Interiors for Park Terrace
KBB Project
Oakeve Interior Architect Design Practice for Hurlingham
CGI & Visualisation (3D Renderings)
Virtual Resolution for DeVere Tortworth Court Hotel Redevelopment
Club and Bar Design
Hirsch Bedner and Associates for Ultima
Restaurant Design
External Reference and Chu Uroz for Alkimia
The judges this year included Lewis Carnie, Head of Radio 2, BBC; Carolina Calzada-Oliviera, Commercial Colour Research Consultant; Carlo Castelli, Director, Strategic Planning and Design, AECOM, Sir Michael Dixon, Director of The Natural History Museum, London; Andrew Katz, Partner, Prospect Hotel Advisors LLC; David Lewis, Managing Director, Sunseeker; Kevin Mau, Senior Creative Director, The Boeing Company; Ben Mcowen Wilson, Regional Director, Youtube EMEA; Jane Preston, Regional Facilities Manager UK, Real Estate & Workplace Services, Google; Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer and Design Director of Aston Martin; Roberto Snaidero, President, Salone Del Mobile; Patrick Taylor, Managing Director, Taylist Media; Matthew Tierney, Director, Brand Creative of Autodesk.
For more information, visit www.sbidawards.com
