Proud laureates: awards ceremony for the “interzum award: intelligent material & design 2015”
Every two years, Koelnmesse collaborates with Red Dot to host the “interzum award: intelligent material & design”. The competition awards the best designs in the international supplier industry for the furniture and interior decorating industries. On 4 May 2015, the proud laureates were given their awards on the occasion of the start of the interzum cologne.
Around 500 manufacturers, designers and marketing decision makers converged at the Koelnmesse site to celebrate the high point of the interzum award 2015 at the interzum Party. This year, a total of 269 entries from 21 countries were submitted. There was great demand for innovative designs for the furniture industry and interior decorating: from “Materials and surfaces” to “Fittings, glass and lighting” to “Upholstery manufacture and bedding”. The jury, comprising five renowned design experts, gave awards to 59 of the entries.
These success stories were duly celebrated at the awards ceremony on the evening of 4 May 2015 in the Theater am Tanzbrunnen in Cologne, Germany. As part of an exclusive reception, Katharina C. Hamma, COO of Koelnmesse, and Vito Oražem, Managing Director Design Zentrum NRW and Red Dot Design Museum, handed the well-earned certificates over to the prize winners of the “High Product Quality” distinction. The jury awarded this title for special design achievements in terms of form and function. 50 products convinced the experts with their excellent design and thus succeeded in standing out from comparable products.
The top award in the competition was announced at the end of the awards ceremony. Only nine products were honoured as “Best of the Best”. By awarding this title the panel of experts appreciates products which set new standards in their industry with their exceptional and ground-breaking design in terms of form and function. The best of the participants in 2015 include Fraunhofer-Institut für Holzforschung WKI, Richter akustik & design GmbH & Co. KG, Schock Metallwerk GmbH and OCTO Actuators GmbH (Bionical Design GmbH) from Germany as well as Organoid Technologies GmbH from Austria and Swiss manufacturer Lamello AG. Moreover, ALPI SPA and Arpa Industriale S.p.A. from Italy as well as DesleeClama from Belgium secured the coveted industry label in the competition with their products.
The cultural highlight of the evening was provided by Oleg Basanov with a torch. By painting art pieces with light the performer enthused the award winners and the audience alike. In addition, in a panel discussion presented by Anne Rothäuser, the jury members Martin Ballendat, Dick Spierenburg und Birgit Schwarzkopf spoke about their personal impressions, trends that they uncovered during the competition and the challenges they see for the future of design.
Until 8 May 2015, all award-winning designs will be presented to the public in a special exhibition as part of the leading global trade fair that is interzum cologne. In this way, Koelnmesse is highlighting the significance of design as an engine of innovation. The products awarded the “Best of the Best” will be displayed on the fair’s boulevard in a walk-in square. In addition, the prize-winning designs will be presented in the online exhibition at www.interzum-award.com.
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