Winners of SBID International Design Awards 2017 revealed
At a lavish ceremony on the 27th October, the highly anticipated winners of the Society of British International Design’s (SBID) International Design Awards were announced.
At a lavish ceremony on the 27th October, the highly anticipated winners of the Society of British International Design’s (SBID) International Design Awards were announced. Held in the grand Dorchester Hotel, London, the Awards for 2017 received over 100,000 public votes, with industry talent from over 40 countries across the globe involved in the entries. As impressive as always, the competition featured some of the world’s best known brands and chains in the finalist’s shortlists.
As well as an Overall Winner Award, there are 14 major design categories - this year, four of the world’s continents were represented in the full range of winners. Every category is assessed by a technical panel and a panel of leading industry experts who are looking for outstanding technical content and aesthetic creativity, as well as recieving a public vote.
The Overall Winner Award is given to the project that receives the highest score once the public vote and judges’ choices have been considered. This year, Singapore and London based practice WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design won the prize for The Whale Bar at the St Regis Hotel in the Maldives. Inspired by the shape of a whale shark, The Whale Bar overlooks the Indian Ocean and takes its inspiration from the natural environment and marine iconography of the Maldives. Harnessing traditional Maldivian crafts and marine themes resulted in the design team creating a luxurious space that shows off local artistry.
Overall Winner Award: WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design - The Whale Bar (also feature image).
Each year, the SBID International Design Awards also selects an individual who has championed a specific sector of the creative industries, against all odds, awarding them the title of SBID Fellow of the Year. This year’s winner was award-winning British designer Sebastian Conran, who is a life-long supporter of excellence in design. Conran has previously created iconic pieces for leading brands such as John Lewis, Nigella and Vitra.
Sebastian Conran
Judges for the awards included Lewis Carnie (Head of Radio 2, BBC), Sir Michael Dixon (Director of The Natural History Museum, London), Kevin Mau (Senior Creative Director, The Boeing Company) and David Lewis (Managing Director, Sunseeker). “We’re now in the seventh edition of the Awards,” SBID President Vanessa Brady OBE said of the annual comeptition, “and each year the support and volume of entries surprise[s] and delight[s] us.”
Public Space Design Award: Bluehaus Group - Orbi Dubai
Other titles of the 14 design award categories include Public Space Design (won by Bluehaus Group for Orbi Dubai), CGI & Visualisation [3D Renderings] (won by Virtual Resolution for DeVere Tortworth Court Hotel Redevelopment) and Healthcare Design (won by CSISZER Design Studio for Apheresis Centre). Find the full list of categories and winners on the SBID International Design Awards website, here.
