SEE SOME HIGHLIGHTS AMONG 215 NOTABLE DESIGNS FROM THE DFA DESIGN FOR ASIA AWARDS 2024 WINNERS AFTER THE NAME LIST HAS BEEN UNVEILED

TEXT & PHOTO COURTESY OF DFA AWARDS

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The DFA Awards is a leading award celebrating outstanding design achievements that have significantly impacted Asia. This year, 215 outstanding projects were acknowledged through DFA Design for Asia Awards, including 10 Grand Awards, 20 Gold Awards, 43 Silver Awards, 57 Bronze Awards, and 85 Merit Awards.

The awards span six diverse categories: communication design, digital and motion design, fashion and accessory design, product and industrial design, service and experience design, and spatial design. They reflect the breadth and depth of design excellence from an Asian perspective while encompassing the global design landscape.

With over 200 awards distributed this year, art4d shares some of the most notable highlights from the Grand Awards winners here.

‘Radiant Eateries: Hong Kong Restaurant Neon Sign Drawings’
Company: Studio Nous
Company Economy: Hong Kong

‘Radiant Eateries: Hong Kong Restaurant Neon Sign Drawings’ is a publication about Hong Kong’s neon signage which aims to bring readers a neon sign experience through the book design. The book is divided into two parts. The first part discusses the history of Hong Kong’s neon lights and the history of Hong Kong’s catering industry, while the second part records 218 handwritten neon signages from the catering industry.

All the handwritten manuscripts in this book use eight-colour printing, bringing out the true visual effect of the signage artworks. Readers can use the UV torch provided along with the book and project it onto the fluorescent ink-printed neon handwriting to simulate the glowing effect of neon lights. White steel-like paper material with an industrial style and embossed design were used to create the book box in order to echo the historical vibe.

Access™ controller
Company: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Company Economy: United States

Designed to assist disabled gamers, the Access™ controller for PS5 is a highly customizable accessibility controller kit. Its extensive range of stick caps and button caps offers exceptional versatility, enabling players to freely tailor their gaming experience to their individual strengths, range of motion, and physical needs.

Additionally, it provides comfortable use on flat surfaces such as wheelchair trays, enabling full 360-degree orientation. Up to two Access™ controllers and one DualSense wireless controller can be connected as a single virtual controller, allowing players to mix and match devices or play collaboratively.

Beijing Library
Company: Snøhetta
Company Economy: Norway

The Beijing Library is a landmark in Beijing’s newly established sub-centre. It boasts China’s largest load-bearing glass system, leveraging innovative technology for an enhanced visitor experience and environmental responsibility. The design comprises three floors and one underground floor, a knowledge and cultural space supported by 144 ‘ginkgo trees’.

The meandering pathway between the terraced hills serves as the building’s central circulation, it mirrors the course of the nearby Tonghui River, seamlessly continuing the experience of the landscape. The terraced hills are designed to create a sculpted interior landform that serves as the ground, seating, and shelving. Punctuating the large reading space are tall, slender columns that mushroom into flat panels shaped like ginkgo leaves.

Boundless
Company: Rhys Workshop Limited
Company Economy: Hong Kong

Boundless is designed to solve the problem of limited fashion choice for people with different physical conditions, especially the elderly and people with impairment, to break the tradition that fashionable items only fit with standard body types. Apart from fashion wearing, the brand also created other products, these fashion items create no boundaries among children, elderly, adults and even pets.

The inclusive designs feature a watercolour theme and combine functionality with style, the clothing incorporates velcro and waistband to facilitate easy wearing, using 100% cotton fabric and water repellent polyester. The design received great testimony from the customers, not only the disabled and elders but also the physically-abled & kids.

CYCL
Company: YU Momoeda Architects
Company Economy: Japan

This sauna project in Yamanakako Village focuses on Mount Fuji and cap clouds. It has a mountain-like structure with a roof-floating design, creating spaces with contrasting features of concentration and liberation. The ground floor features soundproof walls, with the sauna room as the central focal point, while the first floor showcases a column-free design with a wooden structure symbolizing Mount Fuji.

The sauna utilizes natural energy through skylights and ventilation, employing traditional Japanese construction methods with locally sourced timber to minimize carbon emissions. This innovative approach supports local industries and promotes sustainable practices in the village.

NOT A HOTEL FUKUOKA
Company: axonometric; NKS2 architects; A.N.D., NOMURA Co., Ltd.
Company Economy: Japan

The for-sale hotel built in a quiet residential area was to create a seamless continuity with the surrounding detached houses, gardens, parks, and cityscapes. The concept is ‘your home around the world’, where the ownership can be purchased on a timely basis. It tolerates diverse perspectives and possibilities, and aims for an uncertain architecture that cannot be grasped from a single perspective.

The interior space is defined from the terrace, which was created by exploring the way architecture is designed for a new way of life and aiming to blend in with the environment while taking on a new form. Eight rooms, each with different characteristics, respond with the city through the terrace. It blurred the boundary between living and traveling, enabling the owner to enjoy a high standard of living while they could generate income through renting the property.

Sanya Wellness Retreat
Company: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
Company Economy: The Mainland

A hotel for elderly and children, inspired by the ancient Chinese Walled City. Two L-shaped building volumes come together to form a water courtyard, the central feature from which all the hotel’s public amenities spread and emanate outwards. The lobby becomes a garden landscape with a floating lantern hovering above that allows a gentle light to filter in, and with the soft breeze that flows through, the ceilings here are lowered and suppressed in order to simultaneously frame views outward to the azure seas beyond.

The design tries to embody the sense of Hainan, to blend elements from the island’s collective memory, culture and natural features, while using different materials to create the layers of the space. The resort blends traditional aesthetics with modern comforts, ensuring a serene and safe wellness environment.

Silver Pride Lion Troupe
Company: NextOfKin Creatives Pte Ltd; Bridging Generations Pte Ltd
Company Economy: Singapore

Silver Pride Lion Troupe is a training program specifically for elderly and wheelchair participants. It strengthens the health and well-being of the aging population through cultural heritage. The program allows the front dancer to sit in a wheelchair, and the back dancer performs the footwork and maneuvers the front dancer’s movements.

A pulley and lever system within the lion head has been redesigned to provide stable control over the flickers of the lion’s eyes. To provide seniors with a more secure and supported hold, the Silver Pride Lion Troupe has padded grips to the mouth flaps of the lion heads, and non-slip tapes have been applied to the frame structure. Foam padding has been added to the metal frame to improve comfort on the seniors’ shoulders.

The Panda Pavilions
Company: Atelier Ping Jiang | EID Arch
Company Economy: The Mainland

A significant campus expansion by Chengdu National Giant Panda Research and Breeding Center aims to bring a unique cultural experience and inspiration that blends science, education, art, and entertainment to audiences from China and across the world.

The design is organized around four open-air circular courtyards, which serve as outdoor playgrounds for the pandas while providing continuous connection with nature. These pavilions were built to become the research lab for studying the pandas’ behaviors. The project provides a pedestrian-friendly navigation experience for visitors, and it prioritizes an animal-friendly environment to minimize the alienation of ecology and promote biodiversity conservation.

TOMITA GRATER 2
Company: TOMITA CO., LTD.
Company Economy: Japan

The TOMITA GRATER 2 was developed using the outstanding craftsmanship of Tsubame-Sanjo, which specializes in press-working all kinds of metals, from titanium to stainless steel. Its outstanding technology has made it possible to commercialize a bladeless grater.

The TOMITA GRATER 2 is a unique grater that does not use a blade with a wickerwork pattern to avoid getting hurt while touching, and the sponge would not get caught in the blade when washing. This grater is convenient for tabletop use and allows users to sprinkle grated condiments such as ginger, garlic, and cheese directly on the dishes. The material is 18-8 stainless steel with a beautiful hairline.

Apart from DFA Design for Asia Awards 2024, DFA Awards has introduced an exciting new accolade, the DFA Designer of the Year, marking a significant milestone in recognizing creative leaders based in Asia. The 2024 awardees include Kengo KUMA, DFA Lifetime Achievement Award (DFA LAA); Kikuo IBE, DFA Design Leadership Award (DFA DLA); Tino KWAN, DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer (DFA WOCD) and Eisuke TACHIKAWA, DFA Designer of the Year (DFA DOY), each representing the pinnacle of design excellence and innovation.

“This year’s DFA Awards laureates have demonstrated how design transcends aesthetics to become a powerful tool for societal change. Their work not only inspires us but also challenges us to think deeply about the role of design in addressing global issues. This award highlights not only the individual achievements but also the richness of the innovative cultural perspectives that the Asian-based designers have brought to the design landscape.” said Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of HKDC.

To find out more about DFA Design for Asia Awards 2024, please visit
dfaa.dfaawards.com/en/winner