March 13, 2023
The fourth edition of the Tubądzin Design Awards proved that architecture, design and artwork together to create spaces that are both functional and beautiful; they are also part of the spirit of ecology. At a gala ceremony held at the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera in Warsaw, original awards and Grand Prix statuettes were conferred on the winners.
The Tubądzin Design Awards is one of the most prestigious competitions for architects and designers. Participation in it opens the door to an international career in the industry. For the fourth time, the jury selected the winners in each of the categories: Unlimited Architecture, Young Power, Everyday Design and CultureFORM.
The works depict extremely intriguing interpretations of each category. The participants demonstrated not only great professionalism, but also artistry and an environmentally-friendly approach. In doing so, the projects fitted in with this year's central theme of proximity to nature.
YOUNG POWER
The Young Power category is all about a modern perspective on reality. Innovation, playing with design and unprecedented inspiration – these are projects that create completely new trends and conventions that will become the future. The winners were able to share their most unusual ideas and solutions.
Grand PRIX: Luan Fontes, Portugal
The Grand Prix went to a Portuguese designer. Luan Fontes designed the new venue for the dance school, which previously operated in a neighbouring church. The building impresses with its modernity, which at the same time fits in perfectly with the local colour scheme. White, wood and beautiful patterns of Tubądzin tiles decorated the interior with light shades and subtle design, creating a harmonious space full of warmth and gentleness. There was also space for three social housing units, which can serve as a shelter for the local community in emergency situations. The designer used 42 containers to provide a space of 620 m².
Second place: Shikara Silva, Sri Lanka
Second place in the Young Power category went to Shikara Silva with an original design for an environmental conservation centre. As with the first work, wood is the dominant element. The Tubądzin Group's White Opal collection also provides space for stone accents in the open-plan structure of the building.
Third place: Maryna Metsger, Ukraine
The third place was taken by Maryna Metsger from Ukraine, who designed a modern playground. The designer opted for ivory-coloured Ilma tiles, which perfectly absorb natural sunlight and create a unique space for relaxation and play.
EVERYDAY DESIGN
Everyday comfort, combining beauty and modern solutions - this is the aim of the participants under the Everyday Design category. Interiors should ensure relaxation, comfort at work, but also become spaces for lively interaction. Harmonious interiors motivate and relax and are close to soothing nature.
Grand PRIX: Natalia Nykolyshyn, Ukraine, and co-author Yaroslav Bakhovskyi
Natalia Nykolyshyn representing Ukraine, who won the Grand Prix in the Everyday Design category, created a design full of respect for tradition and nature, which allows modernity to make itself at home. The interiors of the house, built in the early 20th century by the designer's grandfather, featured Cielo e Terra Bianco tiles, as well as Fair Beige, as the tops of modern classic style furniture. The warm, creamy shades along with accents of deep brown create a moving aesthetic impression. The interior is elegant, comfortable and cosy, allowing you to spend time comfortably both alone and in larger groups.
Second place: Anna Zygmunt, Poland
Anna Zygmunt's work features the interiors of a modern bathroom in a neutral beige and white colour scheme interspersed with gold accents. The designer used Tender Stone large-format tiles.
Third place: Maryna Lekht, Ukraine
Maryna Lekht designed a one-bedroom apartment near the Lvov metro station in the Parus-Park residential complex. The flat is decorated in a Scandinavian style. The open space is divided into dining, relaxation, sleeping and wardrobe areas, providing a phenomenal view of the Lviv underground station. The interior features a range of cool colours with additional veneered panels. Stone and wood textures form the interior design base. The designer chose the Grand Cave and Korzilius Wood collections from the Tubądzin Group.
UNLIMITED ARCHITECTURE
The Unlimited Architecture category provides endless opportunities to interpret the art of design. There is no room for limitations. In this space, creators can pursue the most unconventional visions of great value, not only in terms of utility, but also in terms of artistic value.
Grand PRIX: won by Klaudia Gołaszewska, Poland, and the team: Michał Hondo, Marek Grodzicki, Kinga Grzybowska
The work "Large Panel" is a reference to the building culture of the 1980s, when large-panel system-building began to emerge in Poland. The designer demonstrates the potential of using large-format Monolith Tubądzin tiles to modernise existing buildings. Large-format stoneware allows freedom to create divisions on the façade, emphasising the simple modernist architecture. The use of a different type of material in the loggias brings out the tectonics of the block and gives the building a modern character. On the roof, a superstructure is designed in the form of a modern CLT timber pavilion as a coworking space for residents, which refers to the reinforced concrete structures evident in the historical photographs.
Second place: Oksana Shumelda, Ukraine
On the podium was the work of Ukrainian architect Oksana Shumelda, which goes beyond traditional minimalism. The austere yet cosy design of the building's interiors and façade surprises with its depth. The open spaces of the house, located on the outskirts of Lviv, impress with their synergistic approach to reality. Forms, shapes and structures mix here, alluding to the multidimensionality and spatiality of the world. This broad perspective was conveyed, among other things, by the ceramic tiles of the Tubądzin Group from Dorota Koziara's collection, Cielo e Terra Bianco Mat.
Third place: Yulia Podolets, Ukraine, co-authors: Volodymyr Balandukh, Vitaliy Lytvyn, Kateryna Kubai
The design concept is the conversion of an early 20th century family home. The building was adapted to modern requirements. A new ventilated façade was designed, and a domestic solarium was connected. The design makes use of state-of-the-art technology that coherently corresponds with the historic flair of the more than 100-year-old building. The façade was decorated with tiles from the Tubądzin Industrio collection, which wonderfully reflects sunlight, adding a slightly futuristic feel to the block.
CULTURE FORM CultureFORM is a special category of the Tubądzin Design Awards, which gives designers the opportunity to refer to cultural and historical heritage in their works. The aim is to design spaces that consider the unique aspects of their surroundings associated with the local colour of a particular region of the world.
Grand PRIX: Aleksandra Sitek, Poland
The "Contemplative space with exhibition function and café" depicts the adaptation of the remains of an Evangelical church in Wrocław, abandoned after World War II. In 1991, the roof of the structure collapsed. The open space inspired the artist to create glazed areas that warm up the minimalist, ascetic interior. The project is intended to have two functions: on the one hand, to be a meeting place; and on the other, the temple character itself brings an air of spiritual contemplation.
SPECIAL MISSION – design of toilets at the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera in Warsaw: Anita Leydo, Poland
The concept for the toilets at the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera in Warsaw is a reference to the existing interiors. The designer used Monolith Regal Stone porcelain stoneware tiles in a beautiful black colour throughout the common areas. Their pattern is deceptively reminiscent of natural stone. A division of textures draws the line on all bathroom walls. The lower part - in matt - is a continuation of the floor finish. The upper one - in gloss - reflects the ceiling, whose finish is reminiscent of undulating water and the free-spreading rays of light on it. The juxtaposition of two textures of the same décor forms the leitmotif of the concept: arches highlighted by wall lights. The women's bathroom welcomes with a dressing table, separated by a partition-wall. Illuminated mirrors provide adequate lighting for spectator's face. Both toilets feature free-standing washbasins that perfectly match the Tubądzin brand collection.
The toilet rooms are tiled with Harmonic White gloss tiles. Thin strips of tiles have been included in the lower part. The corridor in the men's bathroom also features these tiles, which have been phenomenally combined with ambient lighting at the floor and ceiling. The urinals were mounted against a Drops Stone Grey mosaic with a spectacular pattern in which black mixes with grey.
