The International Interior Design Association Reveals Winners of Middle East Design Competitions at The Office Exhibition

15 May 2012, Dubai UAE: The International Interior Design Association today announced the results of two design competitions. The results were revealed at The Office Exhibition, the Middle East's premier trade event for office fit-outs and commercial interior design, and recognise design excellence among Middle East-based projects as well as products displayed at the show.

Launched earlier this year, 'The Office Exhibition Interior Design Competition' sought to identify outstanding commercial fit-out projects in the Middle East over the last three years in the categories of corporate space, education, healthcare, hospitality, government, restaurant, retail and, fitness.

According to IIDA, the designers of the winning projects demonstrate an understanding of futuristic design and have incorporated creativity and ingenious techniques to deliver projects that are over and above the client's brief.

The overall 'Best of Competition' award was won by UAE-based design firm Studio M, for its design of community centre The Pavilion, Dubai. Its project also scooped the 'Best of Category' Award for best Cultural/Educational/Institutional Space. The other companies recognised for delivering the best projects in their respective categories were:

Sima Malak & Alssamoure Design Associates, KSA, Best of Category/Corporate Space - Large for the Arcapita Building, Manama, Bahrain
Naga Architects, Designers & Planners, UAE, Best of Category/Corporate Space - Small for the French Trade Commission, Dubai, UAE
Wilson Associates, UAE, Best of Category/Hotel for the Armani Hotel, Dubai, UAE
Draw Link Group, UAE, Best of Category/Restaurant for Roberto's Restaurant, UAE

The Middle East Office and Hospitality Product Design Awards sought to recognise innovation, aesthetic appeal and functionality in product design from participating exhibitors at The Office Exhibition and The Hotel Show. According to the judges, the winning products were selected for their sophisticated and minimalistic appearance as well as for improving efficacy in their function.

The overall "Best of Competition" award was presented to Andreu World for its "Sail" chair. This high tech chair blends polypropylene and fiberglass allowing it to adapt its form to offer maximum comfort for the user. Recipients of the best product awards in their respective categories were:

Favaretto and Partner, Best of Category/Group Seating for "Marea"

Andreu World, Best of Category/Seating - Guest for "Woody Collection"

Andreu World, Best of Category/Seating - Stacking/Training for "Sail Chair"

Paratoner Designing, Best of Category/Seating - Benches for "Nar"

Flat Technology Limited, Best of Category/Accessories or Specialties - Operating Supplies or Amenities for "Flat Technology"

Bose UAE Trading LLC, Best of Category/Security/Technology - Entertainment Systems for "Bose CineMate 1 SR Home Theatre Speaker System"

EDW LINK SAS, Best of Category/Accessories or Specialties - Hardware/Decorative Metals or Plastics for "Cocoon and Stars Spheres"

WPC Corporation, Best of Category/Applied Finishes or Materials - Wallcoverings/Treatments for "Einwood"

Martex, Best of Category/Case Goods and Freestanding Furniture - Series/Collections for "Kyo"

Commenting on the competitions, Cheryl Durst, Executive Vice President and CEO, IIDA said: "At IIDA, it is our mission to promote exceptional design worldwide. The projects and products selected in these two competitions are true reflections of design innovation and excellence and we hope that these serve as inspiration to all those who visit The Office Exhibition and The Hotel Show."

In addition to the best of category winners for The Office Exhibition Interior Design Competition and The Middle East Office and Hospitality Product Design Awards, IIDA awarded Honourable Mentions to a select group of entrants for their exceptional interior design projects and products.

For The Office Exhibition Interior Design Competition, Honourable Mentions were awarded to:

Dwp, Thailand, Honourable Mention/Corporate Space/Large for Zain Headquarters, Seef, Bahrain
Topos Design Studio, Singapore, Honourable Mention /Corporate Space/Small for SKA Energy, Dubai, UAE
Arun Nalapat Architects, India, Honourable Mention /Corporate Space/Small for 33 Business Bay, Dubai, UAE
Sima Malak & Alssamoure Design Associates, KSA, Honourable Mention, Cultural/Educational/Institutional Space for Arcapita Mosque, Manama, Bahrain
Wilson Associates, UAE, Honourable Mention /Hotel for Park Hyatt on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
Dwp, Thailand, Honourable Mention/Restaurant for the Rib Room, Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel

For The Middle East Office and Hospitality Product Design Awards, Honourable Mentions were awarded to:

Paratoner Designing, Honourable Mention/Group Seating for "Dem"

Interel ME, Honourable Mention/Accessories or Specialties - Operating Supplies or Amenities for "Tophotel Guest Room Management System"

Guigiaro Design, Honourable Mention/Seating - Ergonomic Desk/Task for "Luce"

HON Company Draw Link Group, Honourable Mention/Seating - Ergonomic Desk/Task for "Nucleus"

AFU, Honourable Mention/Guest Room for "Knot"

The winning entries of The Office Exhibition Interior Design Competition and Middle East Office and Hospitality Product Design Awards are now on display in Sheikh Saeed Halls 2 and 3 at the Dubai World Trade Centre until 17 May.

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The judges of the competitions consisted of a panel of design experts from renowned institutes and included:

Julio Braga, Principal, IA Interior Architects, New York

Lewis Goetz, Principal and Vice President, Leo A Daily, Washington DC

Bruno Viterbo, Managing Director, Champalimaud, New York

About The Office Exhibition
The Office Exhibition is the largest office fit-out and design exhibition in the Middle East. It is the premium showcase for high-end products and services which combine to create outstanding working environments. Organised by dmg :: events, the show attracts thousands of top tier architectural and interior design firms and end-users from the Middle East and beyond.

Encompassing a wider range of products and services to reflect the ever expanding market and different working environments and with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) as official knowledge partner, the event has become the most important exhibition for commercial interior design professionals in the GCC region.

For more information visit http://www.theofficeexhibition.com

About dmg :: events
dmg :: events is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT, www.dmgt.co.uk), one of the largest media companies in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1989, it now manages over 80 exhibitions, conferences and online platforms for a variety of industries in up to 25 countries each year.

dmg :: events produces market-leading exhibitions and conferences for the global energy, technology, digital marketing, gift, construction, hospitality and interior industries, with events in North America, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

dmg :: events Middle East has operated since 1995 delivering exhibitions, conferences, events and publications across the Energy, Construction, Hospitality, Commercial, Residential and Interiors industries.

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