Architecture and interiors honored among the 2023 International Design Awards winners

The winners have been announced for the 2023 International Design Awards (IDA). Founded in 2007, the annual program seeks to “recognize, celebrate, and promote exceptional design visionaries” in the fields of architecture, interiors, graphics, fashion, and product design.

The 2023 edition of the awards attracted thousands of submissions from almost 80 countries. Jury member Mark Blackwell of Morphis praised the range of work, noting: “Again, this year, the winners successfully connected people to the heart of their surroundings, taking experiential design and innovation beyond the boundaries to create memorable destinations.”

The Architectural Design of the Year winner was REX with Joshua Ramus, recognized for their Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York. Designed as “the cultural keystone and final public element in the World Trade Center site,” the scheme is wrapped in translucent marble so as to defer to its context by day and glow at night “with respectful individuality.”

The Emerging Architectural Design of the Year winner was Yao Dai from LuXun Academy of Fine Arts, Northwest University, recognized for their PURE project. Described as a “pioneering solution to address Singapore’s freshwater scarcity,” the scheme employs photovoltaic panels positioned on water surfaces to collect distilled water and save energy by regulating wind speed and water evaporation.

The Interior Design of the Year winner was SpActrum with Guan Xiaohao, recognized for their Hangzhou M2 Art Center in China. Originally a wedding dress display space, the interior now hosts photography, exhibitions, and events, where a former fitness club and sunken pool have been creatively enhanced through curved surfaces that maximize space use.

Beyond the architecture and interior design categories, other winning submissions from the 2023 IDA series included Maayama-li Dress (Fashion Design of the Year), Rhythmic Structure of Typography (Graphic Design of the Year), AirOwater-water dispenser (Product Design of the Year), Humanesque (Emerging Fashion Design of the Year), The Celestial Archivist (Emerging Graphic Design of the Year), and Rekit (Emerging Product Design of the Year).