Sahil Siddiqui
Australia’s leading industry-based awards initiative, the Australian Interior Design Awards, has concluded for 2024 with the innovative and meticulously styled Northcote House by LLDS awarded the Premier Award for Interior Design at last night’s Gala event, held at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.
The Australian Interior Design Awards celebrate interior design excellence, both nationally and internationally. Marking its 21st year, the program is a partnership between the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) and Architecture Media’s Artichoke.
This year’s entries showcased an unprecedented level of sophistication, ingenuity and exceptionally resolved materiality, with the jury commenting, “there’s a freshness that characterises [this year], regardless of how long they have been in practice. It just goes to prove that as an industry, we are showing no signs of fatigue, and our capacity for excellence and innovation has only been strengthened.”
This year’s program saw an impressive surge in entries, marking the largest shortlist ever, with 222 projects. Entries were evaluated across sector-specific categories such as residential, retail, hospitality, public, workplace, and installation design, alongside awards for Sustainability Advancement and Emerging Interior Design Practice categories. Of this year’s entries, the juror’s commented: “Competition amongst entries in the 2024 Australian Interior Design Awards was unlike any year before. The calibre of projects was exceptionally high, and while exquisite craftsmanship and detailing reigned, an emphasis on strong colour, natural light and refined materiality prevailed.”
The jury unanimously awarded LLDS’ Northcote House top honours, praising its “exciting collision of technology, sculpture, and innovative material use,” and noting its “unfamiliar yet captivating interior spaces.” This project stood out for the jury as it challenged the way they would typically think about residential interiors. Northcote House’s sustainability considerations impressed the panel, with every component of the home manufactured within five kilometres of the site. The project was awarded a trio of accolades, securing the Award for Residential Design, Best of State Award for Residential Design (Victoria), and the Premier Award; with the jurors highly impressed by the project’s confident integration of technology and contemporary styling.
This year’s Residential Design Category featured an incredible array of projects. Northcote House by LLDS and Daddy Cool by Pattern Studio were the joint recipients of the Award, with Daddy Cool also receiving the Best of State Award for Residential Design (New South Wales), with the jurors commenting that, “the designers have worked a traditional terrace very hard through their exploration of minimalism in a playful yet sophisticated manner.”
Taking home the Award for Residential Decoration was Amelda Wilde Interior Design’s impactful Von Leach Residence, with the jurors commenting that the residence had a real sense of the expression inspired from its occupants and their personal values, which made the project stand out amongst the other entries. From a sustainability perspective, the use of vintage furnishings, recycled steel pieces and reliance on local manufacturing added to the project’s success.
The Hospitality Design Category was rich in venues that led with avant-garde design and innovative space and materiality solutions. Purple Pit by Studio Massive with Latitude Group, and Reine and La Rue by Akin Atelier both received the top Award, with Reine and La Rue also the recipient of Best of State Award for Commercial Design (Victoria). The jury applauded Purple Pit’s juxtapositions, commenting on its punk sensibility, and “the return of something very different to the dining and hospitality scene.” On Reine and La Rue, the panel admired the project’s attention to detail, while noting the inherent challenges that come with working within heritage listed spaces. The panel commented, “the resulting fit-out inserted within the vast setting, grounds the overall hospitality experience and achieves a sense of intimacy in an otherwise grand environment.” Gerard’s by J.AR Office received a commendation for its contemporary take on dramatic minimalism and was subsequently awarded the Best of State Award for Commercial Design (Queensland).
Design Wall 2023 by Hassell and the National Gallery of Victoria claimed the coveted Award for Installation Design this year. Praised by the judging panel for its innovative graphic solution, it stood out for its unique approach to exhibition design. Embracing a zero-waste ethos and leaving no trace behind, the installation not only championed a cohesive visual language, but also delivered a meticulously curated educational display.
This year’s Award for Public Design was bestowed upon the Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, for creating a well-considered community space that is light, airy and extremely welcoming. The jury praised the project’s sustainability focus, applauding its “high-level commitment to sustainability via a Passive Haus approach and use of mass timber, as well as its integration of First Nations’ design principles.”
The jury was moved by Song For The Mute’s flagship store, which was designed by Pattern Studio and received the Award for Retail Design. The jury enjoyed the adaptive re-use of the site, as well as the modularity of the retail pods, all of which display a physical embodiment of the brand. Pidapipó Laboratorio by Dion Hall received a commendation for its endearing and unique design.
The jurors commended the meticulous use of materials and craftsmanship in Wardle’s design for 477 Pitt Street, transforming the interior into a warm, welcoming, and texturally rich workplace within the CBD. This project, alongside Intermain by BVN, jointly received the Award for Workplace Design. Additionally, 477 Pitt Street was honoured with the Best of State Award for Commercial Design (New South Wales).
The Sustainability Advancement category was of particular interest to this year’s jurors due to the unprecedented focus on sustainability initiatives in a large number of shortlisted projects. Kennedy Nolan with Finding Infinity, for the Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit, was the recipient of the Award for this category, with the panel unanimously agreeing that the project “begins and ends with sustainability, impressively standing out for its modest, considered approach to adaptive re-use and longevity.”
This year, the Emerging Interior Design Practice was awarded to Studio Shand, with the jury deeply impressed by the 4-year-old design studio’s interdisciplinary approach, as well as their passion for combining objects, interiors, and architecture into cohesive design outcomes.
See below for the full list of award recipients.
2024 AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS
Premier Award for Australian Interior Design
LLDS for Northcote House, Victoria
Residential Design
Award
LLDS for Northcote House, Victoria
Pattern Studio for Daddy Cool, New South Wales
Commendations
Kennedy Nolan for Fairlie Apartment, Victoria
Kennedy Nolan with Finding Infinity for Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit, Victoria Prior Barraclough for Union Street House, Victoria
Tsai Design for Kirribilli Downsize Apartment, New South Wales YSG Studio for Mo Jacobsen, Victoria
Residential Decoration
Award
Amelda Wilde Interior Design for Von Leach Residence, Victoria
Commendations
JC HQ for Petite Retreat, Victoria
YSG Studio for Checkmate, New South Wales YSG Studio for Mo Jacobsen, Victoria
Hospitality Design
Award
Akin Atelier for Reine and La Rue, Victoria
Studio Massive with Latitude Group for Purple Pit, Victoria
Commendations
J.AR Office for Gerard’s, Queensland Looks Generous for Bambino, Vietnam
Studio Co and Co for The Sporting Club Hotel, Victoria Tom Mark Henry for Bar Besuto, New South Wales
Retail Design
Award
Pattern Studio for Song for the Mute Flagship, New South Wales
Commendations
Dion Hall for Pidapipó Laboratorio, Victoria Ewert Leaf for July QV, Victoria
K. Holland Architectural Interiors for LeTao, Sydney, New South Wales Kennedy Nolan for Up There, Victoria
Installation Design
Award
Hassell and National Gallery of Victoria for Design Wall 2023, Victoria
Commendations
Boardgrove Architects for Melbourne Now: Community Hall, Victoria Powerhouse Museum for Zampatti Powerhouse, New South Wales
Public Design
Award
Jackson Clements Burrows Architects for Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre, Victoria
Commendations
Bates Smart for The Embassy of Australia, Washington D.C, United States of America McIldowie Partners for Memorial Hall, Christ Church Grammar School, Victoria
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Art Gallery of New South Wales Library and Members Lounge, New South Wales
Workplace Design
Award
BVN with Intermain for Intermain, New South Wales Wardle for 477 Pitt Street, New South Wales
Commendations
Hassell for Deloitte Workplace, Sydney, New South Wales
Jackson Clements Burrows Architects for Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity Hub, Victoria Studio Edwards for Today Design, Victoria
WMK Architecture for WMK Studio, New South Wales
Emerging Interior Design Practice
Award
Studio Shand, New South Wales
Commendations
House of Paule, Victoria
Lintel Studio for Architecture, New South Wales
Best of State Commercial
Australian Capital Territory – Technē Architecture + Interior Design for Canberra Centre New South Wales – Wardle for 477 Pitt Street
Queensland – J.AR Office for Gerard’s
South Australia – Samstag Museum of Art, University of South Australia for Bruce Nuske with Khai Liew Tasmania – Terroir for Terroir Hobart Office
Victoria – Akin Atelier for Reine and La Rue Western Australia – Rezen Studio for Vin Populi
Residential
New South Wales – Pattern Studio for Daddy Cool Queensland – SJB Interiors for Gold Coast Apartment
South Australia – Enoki for Stirling Residence Victoria – LLDS for Northcote House
Western Australia – State of Kin for Proclamation House
International Design
Bates Smart for The Embassy for Australia, Washington D.C, United States of America
Sustainability Advancement
Award
Kennedy Nolan with Finding Infinity for Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit, Victoria
Commendation
Cox Architecture for CSL Global Headquarters and Centre for Research and Development, Victoria Studio Edwards for Today Design, Victoria
Terroir for Terroir Hobart Office, Tasmania
