Now in its 62nd edition, the iF Design Awards has a long history in the world of products and communications but has only recently expanded to include other design disciplines — a trend that it will extend into the coming year, with the notable introduction of the Architecture category. Indeed, this year sees a shift from the “Big Three” categories — the iF product design award, iF communication design award, and iF packaging design award — to a single iF design brand, comprising the trio of existing categories as well as two new ones for 2015: Interior Architecture and Professional Concept.
Attracting nearly 4,800 entries in total, the 2015 iF Design Awards were judged by a panel of 53 design luminaries, who ultimately saw fit to deem roughly a third of the entries with the iF label, 75 of which garnered the top prize of the iF Gold Award. While the field predictably skewed toward the historically strong Product category on all counts, the jury honored 96 winners across the seven Interior Architecture subcategories, ten of which achieved gold.
© Gudrun Muschalla
BMW Welt hosted the Awards Ceremony on Friday, February 27, 2015. Photo credits: Roman Thomas, Bernd Schönberger, Anna Seibel, BMW AG / Gudrun Muschalla Photography
Given the iF Award’s long tradition of celebrating brands and manufacturers — both retail and commercial — it was unsurprising that the majority of gold winners for Interior Architecture happened to fall into the Exhibitions / Trade Fairs or Shops / Showrooms typologies, along with a couple in Hospitality (Hotels, Spas, Restaurants, Bars) and Installations. Although the Residential, Office, or Public subcategories were well-represented among Interior Architecture winners, none of them made the cut for gold status. (Similarly, the entries tend to be Eurocentric, though of course it is open to countries around the globe.)
Nevertheless, the iF Awards recognized a strong showing of interiors this time around, and with the addition of the full-fledged Architecture, the program has a great opportunity to expand its reach. Officially announced at an awards ceremony at the Coop Himmelb(l)au-designed BMW Welt event/exhibition center in Munich last Friday, February 27, here are the top ten Interior Architecture entries of the 2015 iF Design Awards:
© Lukas Palik Fotografie
UNDO by D’art Design Gruppe (Exhibitions / Trade Fairs)
The Neuss, Germany-based communications agency duly rose to the challenge of representing its own brand at the EuroShop trade fair.
Confession of Design by Vasku&Klug (Exhibitions / Trade Fairs)
Set in a former church, the Viennese firm had the opportunity to create the Austrian design exhibition during the 2014 Salone del Mobile in Milan.
“Farmhouse” for Gaggenau by einszu33 (Exhibitions / Trade Fairs)
The farmhouse concept alludes to both agricultural production and craftsmanship, intended to present the kitchen as a process-oriented space.
Occhio evolution plus by Martin & Karczinski (Exhibitions / Trade Fairs)
For the Light+Building show, the Munich-based firm employed the plus sign as a motif to conveys Occhio’s brand essence, “light is evolution.”
Cultura Bookstore by Studio mk27 (Shops / Showrooms)
The Livraria Cultura at Iguatem is intended to be a social space as much as a retail one: Come for the books and stay for the people-watching.
Camper Together by Atelier Marko Brajovic (Shops / Showrooms)
The multidisciplinary designer’s eponymous studio created this narrative-driven showroom in his native São Paulo.
Gu Yuan – Specious Feeling by Deve Build (Shops / Showrooms)
This showroom space in Urumqi harkens back to an ancient garden.
© SCHMIDHUBER
Audi Quattro Bar by SchmidHuber (Hotels / Spas / Restaurants / Bars)
The luxury auto brand commissioned an exclusive bar to serve as a luxurious ski lodge in St. Moritz.
MINI Icehotel by DesignworksUSA (Hotels / Spas / Restaurants / Bars)
Designed for the ICEHOTEL in Lapland, BMW’s sister agency DesignworksUSA created this deluxe hotel suite.
Time Machine by TAMSCHICK MEDIA+SPACE (Installations)
The Berlin-based studio created this immersive experience — a 400-sq.m. interactive audio-visual installation — for the Wu Kingdom Helv Relics Museum.
Congratulations to all of the winners, which can be viewed in the iF Awards’ online gallery. Check out the iF Design Awards website for more details on the prestigious program and how to enter next year.
