The ICONIC AWARDS 2021: Innovative Architecture, organised by the German Design Council, honour the best architecture and design solutions internationally. This year’s winners have now been announced and can set themselves clearly apart from their competitors thanks to their title. The special awards, which each come with EUR 10,000 in prize money, were presented to Dorte Mandrup (“Architects of the Year”) and X+Living (“Interior Designers of the Year”). The “Architects’ Client of the Year” honour went to CITTA Foundation.
The award winners will be honoured on 11 October 2021 in Munich. Alongside the special awards, the jury also honours the best work in the categories of “Architecture”, “Interior”, “Product”, “Communication” and “Concept” as well as the general category of “Innovative Material”. A comprehensive summary of all winners can be found at: https://www.iconic-world.com/directory/filtered/award-iaia/year-2021.
“Architects of the Year” special award
The jury awarded the “Architects of the Year” distinction to the Danish architecture firm Dorte Mandrup, Founded in 1999, the studio has since won many awards, making a name for itself internationally with extraordinary, sculptural-looking creations. Alongside projects for education and work, prestigious projects in the field of cultural heritage in particular have enabled the studio to repeatedly cause a stir internationally.
“Interior Designers of the Year” special award
This year’s “Interior Designers of the Year” award was given to X+Living. The studio was founded in 2011 by Chinese designer Li Xiang. From the very beginning, she surprised with refreshingly unconventional designs, which earned her a great deal of praise from both the media, customers and fans of her work. Li Xiang established her own furniture brand in 2015 and she again hit the spirit of the times with her mix of quality, sustainability and a touch of humour. For more than ten years, the studio has had people talking about it with fantastic, almost surreal projects such as the “Taiyuan FAB Cinema”.
“Architects’ Client of the Year” honour
The “Architects’ Client of the Year” honour, which the jury presents to a project client that supports a holistic understanding of architecture, was given to CITTA Foundation this year. The charitable organisation has set itself the goal of promoting growth in some of the world’s economically most disadvantaged, geographically remote and/or marginalised communities through health, education and economic development. For CITTA, it is not only a question of building hospitals, schools and centres, but also of improving the situation of women, who are often prevented from making full use of their strength and significance in society due to out-dated traditions.
Jury members
- Susanne Brandherm, brandherm + krumrey interior architecture, Cologne
- Michel Casertano, Atelier Brückner GmbH, Stuttgart
- Asif Khan, Asif Khan Ltd., London
- Silvia Olp, aed e. V., Verein zur Förderung von Architektur, Engineering and Design, Stuttgart
- Prof Dr Werner Sobek, Werner Sobek AG, Stuttgart
- Song Zhaoqing, Lacime Architects, Shanghai
German Design Council
The German Design Council has been operating since 1953 as one of the world’s leading centres of expertise in communication and knowledge transfer within design, branding and innovation. It is part of the worldwide design community and has always contributed to the establishment of global exchange and networking thanks to its international offering, promotion of new talent and memberships. With events, conventions, awards, jury meetings and expert committees, the Council connects its members and numerous other international design and branding experts, fosters discourse and provides important stimulation for the global economy. More than 350 businesses currently count among its members.
Contact
Janine Wunder, Vice President Communications and Marketing
Phone +49 (0)69 247 448 699
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Email presse@german-design-council.de
www.german-design-council.de