EXPLORE 32 WINNING PROJECTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN THE BEST DESIGN OF THE 2024 GOLDEN PIN DESIGN AWARD AFTER THE WINNERS WERE ANNOUNCED IN THE AWARD CEREMONY LAST DECEMBER
TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLDEN PIN DESIGN AWARD EXCEPT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
Toward the end of 2024, the art4d page was brimming with posts spotlighting works by Thai designers that triumphed at the Golden Pin Design Award 2024. In tandem, a summary of the major awards was released on December 14, 2024—just one day after the offline ceremony at the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center. All things considered; it was a banner year for Thai entries in the competition.
N.L.N. Villa by 1922 Architects (Spatial Design)
N.L.N. Villa by 1922 Architects (Spatial Design)
That’s not all, as we have yet to cover the winners from other regions. This year, entries from more than 21 countries worldwide made it into the finals following a stringent selection process. The resulting roster featured 32 Golden Pin Design Award Best Design and 2 Special Annual Awards, alongside 3 Best Design winners from the Golden Pin Concept Design Awards, submitted by participants hailing from Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Poland, the USA, Singapore, and, of course, Thailand.
Young Designers’ Exhibition 2024: Beyond Sustainability – The Borrowing Project by hidden_domain design studio (Integration Design)
Among this year’s 32 winners, 10 came from Product Design, 7 from Communication Design, 10 from Spatial Design, and 5 from Integration Design. In the Spatial Design category—which deals with architecture and the organization of space—Thailand’s 1922 Architects, Hanabitate Architects, and IDIN Architects each earned an award. Also recognized was THE JINRAY Experience Center by One Work Design (Taiwan), which seamlessly fuses nature with luxury in an interior layout designed for effortless operational flow.
THE JINRAY Experience Center by One Work Design Ltd. (Spatial Design)
THE JINRAY Experience Center by One Work Design Ltd. (Spatial Design)
Another project that is appreciated for its straightforward concept is (beanroom) by Waterfrom Design (Taiwan). It accomplishes the owner’s challenging brief of simultaneously achieving sustainability and profitability by designing the storefront display around the phrase ‘Products as Decorations.’ The shelving is designed to be lightweight, serving as storage for colorful coffee-bean boxes under normal circumstances. When customers come flooding in to order coffee, the store’s exterior appearance begins to shift, and if all the boxes are pulled out, passersby can glimpse the ambiance inside the shop. Other notable details include a counter inspired by the creases of bean sacks and in-store shelving that can be adjusted to fit products of various sizes.
(beanroom) by Waterfrom Design Co., Ltd. (Spatial Design)
(beanroom) by Waterfrom Design Co., Ltd. (Spatial Design)
Bridge Cocoon by Forest-Wood Archi-Tect. (Taiwan), the only bamboo-based architectural piece among the 2024 winners, is another standout feature. Bridge Cocoon uses a curved bamboo structure draped in treated fabric and bamboo paper, both waterproof and translucent, creating an atmosphere where crossing the bridge feels akin to emerging from a cocoon into the outside world. Also noteworthy from Japan are Kashimada Nursery by TERRAIN Architects (Japan), a kindergarten that employs an 8-tatami Japanese unit system to form a communal space under a windmill-shaped roof, and Redefining Public Restroom in the Park by Masatoyo Ogasawara Architects, a public restroom that provides seating to enjoy the view of Haneda Airport, housed in a structure that seamlessly blends modern style with traditional Japanese architecture.
Kashimada Nursery by TERRAIN architects (Spatial Design)
Kashimada Nursery by TERRAIN architects (Spatial Design)
The last two projects are the Beijing City Library by Snøhetta (Norway)—the ginkgo-leaf-roofed library in China that many have likely seen multiple times over the past year (also featured in art4d read more here)—and Gaia by RSP Architects Planners and Engineers (Singapore) and Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects. Gaia is the largest Mass Engineered Timber (MET) structure in Asia, rising six stories high at Nanyang Technological University, where it serves as a learning facility, research center, and office space, complete with an additional underground parking level.
Beijing City Library by Snøhetta (Spatial Design)
Beijing City Library by Snøhetta (Spatial Design)
Gaia by RSP Architects Planners and Engineers (Pte) Ltd (Spatial Design)
The 2024 Golden Pin Design Awards once again feature an array of astounding designs. On behalf of art4d, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners, especially the studios from Thailand. Those interested to participate in Golden Pin Design Awards 2025, stay tuned for upcoming announcements.
The Golden Pin Design Award 2024 Exhibition is on view from now until April 6, 2025, at the Taiwan Design Museum (Hall 01, Hall 02, Hall 04) in the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park.
Explore the list of winners in other categories here: goldenpin.org.tw/goldenpin/en/winners
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About the Golden Pin Design Award
The Golden Pin Design Award is the most prestigious design competition in the Taiwan, China, Macao, and Hong Kong markets. Its mission is to provide opportunities and support for outstanding design across various categories—from products to diverse creative works—originating in countries throughout Asia.
For more information, please visit: https://www.goldenpin.org.tw/en/