FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2019

WINNERS OF TWO PRESTIGIOUS IIDA DESIGN COMPETITIONS ANNOUNCED

CHICAGO, IL — IIDA has announced the 2019 winners of two of its premier design competitions: the Will Ching Design Competition and the Interior Design Competition.

This year’s winners were chosen by a jury of design experts, including Verda Alexander, IIDA, co-founder, O+A; Gary Lee, IIDA, president, Gary Lee Partners; and Krista Ninivaggi, IIDA, Allied ASID, founder, K&CO.

The 2019 Will Ching Design Competition honors exceptional commercial interior design projects from firms with five or fewer employees. OPENUU of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, is this year’s winner for its work on Mean Noodles, a noodle bar in Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.

“This year’s winning project is exemplary of the aesthetic and collaborative power of boutique firms,” said Alexander on behalf of the jury. “We are pleased to honor OPENUU as the winners of the 2019 Will Ching Design Competition, and celebrate their vibrant, urban, and cohesive design.”

The annual Interior Design Competition celebrates outstanding, innovative design and architecture that encourages new ideas and techniques in the design and furnishings of interior spaces.

"Firms across the globe continue to playfully and inventively push boundaries and design outside the lines, and this year’s winning projects are indicative of that,” said Alexander. “The 2019 winners are bold, fearless, and original.”

The Interior Design Competition winners are:

Project: Ice Scream Bronx, New York, New York
Firm: Asthetique, New York, New York

Project: Tiny Holiday Home, Vinkeveen, The Netherlands
Firm: i29 interior architects & Chris Collaris, Duivendrecht, The Netherlands

Project: Hyperion · Light Year, Chongqing, China
Firm: KYLE CHAN & ASSOCIATES DESIGN LTD, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Project: WUHAN PANLONG PLAZA YINXING CINEMA, Wuhan, China
Firm: One Plus Partnership Limited, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong

Project: Optimo Hat Company, Chicago, Illinois
Firm: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Chicago, Illinois

Project: NĂM • Modern Vietnamese Cuisine, Kiev, Ukraine
Firm: YOD Design Lab, Kiev, Ukraine

The Interior Design Competition Best of Competition will be announced and all winners will be celebrated on June 9, 2019, during Silver, the IIDA black-tie gala, and featured in the May issue of Interior Design magazine, publishing partner for both competitions.

To view the winning projects, visit the Will Ching Design Competition image gallery and the Interior Design Competition image gallery on the IIDA website.

For more information, contact Clare Socker, design competitions manager, at csocker@iida.org.

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ABOUT IIDA

For 25 years, IIDA, the commercial interior design association with global reach, has been a leader in defining, supporting, and enriching the interior design profession. We support design professionals, industry affiliates, educators, students, firms and their clients through our network of 15,000+ members across 58 countries. We advocate for advancements in education, design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of interior design as a profession that enhances business value and positively impacts the health and well- being of people’s lives every day. www.iida.org