Stockholm Design Week, which ended on 12 February, was the occasion to present the first edition of the Scandinavian Design Awards, established to celebrate the best design, architecture and interiors in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
The awards consist of eight categories, including Architecture of the Year and Sustainability Award of the Year, and is collaboration between Stockholm Furniture Fair and the publishing house It Is Media. With the aim to recognize and pay tribute to newcomers and established players within architecture and design in Scandinavia, the award is an attempt to also bring the industry together.
These are the winners, accompanied by an extract from the jury’s motivations:
Photo @ Einar Aslaksen
Architecture of the Year
The Plus by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)
“Vestre’s furniture factory The Plus – set to become the first industrial building to achieve the highest environmental BREEAM Outstanding rating – is a forerunner and an outstanding example of how to take sustainability issues very seriously right down to the tiniest detail”.
Chaise longue 4PM
Antrei Hartikainen, Rising Star of the Year
Furniture of the Year
Chaise longue 4PM/Self Build by Chris Martin for Massproductions
“The fact that Chris Martin and Massproductions, following the tradition of Enzo Mari, have designed a simple, yet aesthetic lounge chair that is yours to build and evolve to something unique, is just brilliant”.
Rising Star of the Year
Antrei Hartikainen
“By combining the skills of a master cabinetmaker with the skills of a designer Antrei Hartikainen create objects, furniture and installations that blur the traditional boundaries between function and fine art”.
Photo © Crème Atelier
Interior detail of the Year
Soft Serve by Crème Atelier
“The 3D-printed table lamp Soft Serve now brings light to the winter gloom. It is a perfect example of a classically designed interior detail created by using modern sustainable technology”.
Photo © Kjell B. Persson
Designer of the Year
Folkform
“With a great sense of curiosity, the designers stay true to their own design philosophy and methodology – getting to know production, grasping its opportunities, and then challenging them, thereby creating something new and original together. The importance they place on explaining their products’ origins and manufacturing processes is exemplary”.
Garden Design of the Year
Mariann Gundersen for Vill hageglede (giardino privato)
“It’s a garden that speaks to the senses, with its natural and ever-changing look, beautiful all year around. It is a sustainable garden design that benefits pollinators, wildlife – and humans”.
Producer of the Year
Massproductions
“Massproductions combine clever design sensibility with sharp business skills and a fair share of boldness. Since the start 2009, they have stood their ground and pushed their own way of doing things, without ever giving in to quick trends. Standing out in the Scandinavian design landscape”.
Sustainability Award of the Year
Vestre for The Plus (opening image)
“A great dedication and determination in achieving ambitious sustainability objectives, while engaging over one hundred partners in a multidisciplinary collaboration, has resulted in the development of a variety of innovative solutions and the establishment of the most sustainable furniture factory in the world. An attractive and beautiful building that is open to visitors and engages the local community”.
