Winners have been announced for the first annual Solutia World of Color Awards. The international competition pays tribute to architects, interior designers, furniture designers and other industry professionals who have demonstrated innovative and liberal use of Solutia's Vanceva color interlayers for laminated glass in their work between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2009.
Interior Design Division Winner
The first place award for the Interior Division was awarded to designer Patricia Urquiola for “The Spa at Mandarin Oriental” in Barcelona, Spain. The jury called the space an “elegant, architectural interior.” Subtle use of colored laminated glass emits a soft emerald glow around the spa pool and the simple lines achieve a serene and relaxed environment. Urquiol notes how the finalized design is perfectly integrated in the surroundings, interacting with patrons to engage them in a „true oasis‟ of tranquility.” Another juror called the work “restrained, tasteful, yet adventurous.”
Architect: Patricia Urquiola
Glass Laminator: Control Glass (Union Vidriera)
Interior Design Division Honorable Mention
Designer Peter Saville and architect David Adjaye collaborated on the new London headquarters of Kvadrat, a Danish textile company. A stunning staircase, set in a two-story industrial space, is like a bolt of lightening running the entire length of the space. It is framed by colored glass panels, which cast colored shadows over the concrete walls as the light changes throughout the day. A stunning spectrum of colored laminated glass interlayers, ranging from rich violet hues to light and airy blues, brings light and beauty to a desolate office space. The jurors commented on the clarity of the project, calling it “a strong statement made with few notes and careful editing.”
Architect: David Adjaye
Glass Laminator: Barretts Group
Exterior Division Winner
Architect Pitupong Chaowakul, of Thisdesign Co., Ltd. Thailand, won the Exterior Division award for “Harbor Mall,” a new shopping center in the coastal city of Laem Chabang, Thailand, a popular tourist destination. The blue-green vertical color palate of the Harbor Mall façade was inspired by the movement and feel of the waves in the nearby Gulf of Thailand. From inside the building, shoppers experience the changing colors of waves as they gaze through the gradient color system into the sunlight. From the exterior, the building‟s marine colors beckon tourists who have come to enjoy the sea. The design awards jurors gave Harbor Mall glowing remarks, calling it “site specific work that thoughtfully integrates color and glass.” Another juror celebrated the work as an “exceptional project with bold glass, which adds not only to the interior and exterior of the building, but to the built environment.”
Architects: This Design Company LLC
Glazing Contractor: Thai Techno Glass Company
Exterior Division Honorable Mention
Celebrated Montreal artist and architect Hal Ingberg received the honorable mention for his public art installation “Papa” in the Exterior Division. The peaked structure is made up of a series of vibrantly colored glass panels that add brilliance to an ordinary intersection in the heart of Canada‟s capital region in Quebec. A glass wall reaches a 14.4 m height at the southwest corner of the park, and Ingberg notes, “(the work) performs as a gateway to the city and its park.” The installation spirals downward to 2.4 m, inviting pedestrians and cyclists to sit and contemplate the ever-changing play of sunlight through the transparent colored glass. The dramatic use of colored laminated glass walls and spirals assures “Papa” as not only a major public art installation but also a standard for the future of Canadian design. The jury applauded the work as “a sculpture, high-impact and simple – a very bold statement.”
Architects: Hal Ingberg Architecte
Glass Laminator: Prelco
Glazing Contractor: Vitreco
The jury for the first annual Solutia World of Color Awards consisted of an international mix of celebrated industry professionals in both the architectural, interior design and color marketing industries. The judges included: Shashi Caan, founder of the Shashi Caan Collective in New York City & the United Kingdom; Fermín Vázquez, founder of b720 Arquitectos in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain; Andrew Moor, principal of Andrew Moor Associates in London and author of The Colour of Architecture; Jeeyong An, principal of GinsengChicken Architecture, a New York office for progressive architecture; and Denise Turner, international colorist and founder of Color Turners in California.
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