ARCHELLO YOUR CONNECTION WITH ARCHITECTURE

The award was launched in 2011 with the goal to unite innovative interiors with equally as innovative furniture and lighting. Many high-profile pieces of furniture and lighting have been designed for a specific context, such as Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair, which was created for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona or Arne Jacobsen’s Egg Chair designed in 1958 for the Radisson SAS Hotel in Copenhagen. These and many other iconic products eventually experienced large-scale production and appeared in a wide range of interior projects. Many proved to be so innovative that they earned recognition and inspired others to design similar models. Contextual designs are clearly important for the development of furniture and lighting; they also strengthen the bond between (interior) architects and product designers.

The FRAME moooi award 2012 is hosted by dutch furniture company moooi in collaboration with FRAME magazine. It's the year’s biggest inaugural interior design award and will be concluded in milan during april’s salone del mobile fair. The award celebrates the 10 years of production and exhibition activities of renowned design brand moooi. Designboom has been the exclusive online media partner and a whopping 891 submissions were received by designers in 79 countries. The final winner will be granted with the €25,000 grand prize.

Participants were responding to the brief which asked designers and architects to submit interior space design along with furniture and lighting objects that were CUSTOM-developed in a worldwide context.

The contest has been judged by french designer philippe starck, he selected the shortlist with an anonymous approach, in that he didn’t know the designers’ names or countries of origins. ‘I’m often invited to judge competitions,’ he says. ‘I’m happy to say that the level of this one is clearly higher than average, a very nice surprise.’ The designs and their creators will be featured in the may/june issue of FRAME magazine.

The top ten shortlisted entries have now been selected. The overall winner will be revealed only on wednesday, april 18th, during milan design week 2012, at the FRAME moooi award ceremony and party at magazzini generali venue in via pietrasanta 16, milan (by invitation only). A press preview will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with the ceremony and party set to commence at 9:30 p.m.

The 10 finalists will be presented by designer marcel wanders, and philippe starck will be present on hand to celebrate the top prize. The party is themed celebration to LIGHT! And presents a special installation by artist daniel wurtzel and will be hosted by michele caniato (president, culture & commerce).

The finalists are:
- ray – integrated ceiling light for an office, by shl design (denmark)
- what’s in your locker? – locker system for a school, by lab 3 (netherlands)
- caelum – LED table lamp for a bar, by pablo martinez diez (spain)
- kroon – chandelier for an office and apartment building, by ZMIK (switzerland)
- shoe box – display system for a sneaker shop, by facet studio (australia)
- mist of arch – furniture for public toilet in a department store, by keiko + manabu (japan)
- sketch – display for a fashion shop, by ypsilon tasarım, yesim bakırküre (turkey)
- stairway to heaven – pendant light for a theater café, by bertjan pot (netherlands)
- education trestles and easels – educational table system for an art museum, by studio makkink & bey (netherlands)
- decanterlight – pendant light for a bar, by lee broom (UK)