In a ceremony held on November 23rd, the Design Exchange (DX) along with distinguished judges awarded designers, companies and their projects the 2010 DXA Award of Excellence. In an unusual turn of events, two companies from the Interior Commercial and Temporary design categories were announced Gold recipients and the Interior Residential category canceled due to poor submissions. The projects were still chosen from hundreds of applicants across Canada. Winners will be featured in a major exhibition at the Design Exchange that opens to the public November 24, 2010 and runs until March 27, 2011.
In the Interior Design Commercial category, Gold recipient went to Yabu Pushelberg’s Avenue Road Showroom at 415 Eastern Avenue and Burdifilek’s Brown Thomas Luxury Hall. Designers Brian Gluckstein and Drew Mandel judged the category along with Susan Wiggins, executive director of the Interior Designers of Canada.
Yabu Pushelberg was challenged to grow Avenue Road’s floor space to accurately represent the collections they carry and to also create an unprecedented client experience. Transforming the historic Consumers Gas building into a contemporary space meant utilizing the characteristics of the 103-yearold building and simplifying the space. 15,000 square feet was added by installing a supporting metal truss in the roof structure. A glass atrium bisecting all three floors connects the space so that every level is visible and pays homage to the original architectural features.
Judges referred to the space as “flawless with a seamless aesthetics.” The overall design and expansion has doubled staff, driven sales while allowing clients to add exclusive new collections.
In the Interior Design Temporary Category, Gold went to Aedifica and Sid Lee’s MÜVBOX and Hariri Pontarini Architect’s Ontario Pavilion at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
The judges found that the MÜVBOX, which made its debut in the Old Port of Montreal, was a stylistic re-use of a shipping container with the notion that portable fast food venues could be re-designed into a pleasant and graphic pleasing exterior.
MÜVBOX leaves a small environmental footprint that can be installed almost anywhere, just like snack carts, and has seating like a diner but dazzles like no other. Created out of a recycled shipping container and powered by solar energy, the MÜVBOX concept is a modern day reinvention of the old-fashioned canteen. Each night the MÜVBOX vanishes back into its box becoming an object of modern art through the colorful frescoes on its walls, and unfolds early the next morning at the touch of a button. In less than two minutes the pop-up restaurant opens with a full kitchen, counters and terrace. Inspired by its predecessors and the Push Button House installation at the 2006 Venice Biennale, this cutting-edge box is made of recyclable and sustainable materials, solar power, local products and eco-friendly efficiencies, all of which are key ingredients to the brand.
