CHICAGO – The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) recently announced the winners of the following 2009 interior design competitions: the 36th annual Interior Design Competition and the 17th annual Will Ching Design Competition. Truly international in scope, this year’s slate of winners demonstrates that great design is a universal goal.
The six winners in the 36th annual Interior Design Competition were chosen from nearly 400 projects submitted in the following practice areas: Commercial, Education/Institutional, Government, Health Care, Hospitality, Residential, and Retail.
1. Project: Greenhouse Nightclub – New York, NY
Firm: Bluarch Architecture + Interiors – New York, NY
2. Project: Nishimura Restaurant, Shangri-La Hotel – Beijing, China
Firm: CL3 Architects Limited – Hong Kong, China
3. Project: Museum of Tolerance – Los Angeles, CA
Firm: Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design – Los Angeles, CA
4. Project: Fornari Headquarters – Milan, Italy
Firm: Giorgio Borruso Design – Marina Del Rey, CA
5. Project: Wing Luke Asian Museum – Seattle, WA
Firm: Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects – Seattle, WA
6. Project: Cathedral of Christ the Light – Oakland, CA
Firm: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP – San Francisco, CA
In addition, Gallery More North in New York—a gallery/exhibition space devoted to the best of contemporary Nordic art and design, designed by KOKO Architecture + Design of New York, NY—was chosen as the winner of the 17th annual Will Ching Design Competition, which honors outstanding commercial design by firms of five or fewer individuals.
"We were pleased to see so many entries this year from which our distinguished panel of judges selected a globally diverse group of winners representing multiple areas of practice,” states Viveca Bissonnette, IIDA, CID, LEED AP, IIDA vice president of communications and associate at Carrier Johnson + CULTURE. “The winning projects range in size and scope but all exemplify IIDA’s mission to enhance the quality of life through innovation and excellence in interior design."
“In the midst of so much economic turmoil, it is encouraging and rewarding to see winning entries representing museum and gallery spaces, a sustainable nightclub, a hotel restaurant, and a corporate space repurposing historic porcelain workshops,” according to Cheryl Durst, honorary IIDA, LEED AP, executive vice president and CEO, IIDA. “The design community is a pinnacle of creating touch points for people, no matter where they come together, demonstrated by this year’s winners.”
Judges for the distinguished competition included Suzanne Tick, president, Suzanne Tick Inc.; D.B. Kim, principal designer, D.B. Kim Inc.; and Erla Dogg Ingjaldsdottir, associate IIDA, principal, Minarc.
The judges’ selection for Best of Competition will be officially revealed and all winners will be celebrated at COOL, IIDA’s NeoCon® Gala to be held Sunday, June 14, in the Grand Ballroom at the Westin Chicago River North.
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) works to enhance quality of life through excellence in interior design and to advance interior design through knowledge, value and community. IIDA is a professional networking and educational association of 13,000 Members in 10 specialty Forums in 29 Chapters around the world. Additional information is available on IIDA’s Web site: www.iida.org.
