The IDA 2020, the NYCxDESIGN and the GERMAN DESIGN AWARDS 2021 reward the most innovative and creative products of Spanish design

Spanish design still harvesting success. After the successful results at the IF DESIGN AWARDS 2021, Spanish design products are once again in the spotlight at this year’s awards season as they have been recognized with prestigious awards and accolades for exceptional design and innovation. Among the Spanish brands recognized during this year’s first semester, there are designer furniture companies Andreu World, Expormim, Ondarreta, Vondom, and lighting specialist Garcia Requejo.

International Design Awards IDA 2020

Each year these prestigious awards recognize and promote consolidated and emerging talents in the fields of Architecture, Interior, Product, Graphic, and Fashion Design. The 2020 International Design Awards (IDA) was the most successful in its 14-year history, attracting thousands of outstanding designs submitted by companies and designers from more than 80 countries competing for the top prizes in this prestigious award.

Six Spanish companies have been awarded in the category of “Product Design”, among them two companies from Furniture from Spain: GARCIA REQUEJO and VONDOM.

GARCIA REQUEJO received two awards for its N-27 DUO LIGHT germicidal lamp: the Silver Award in the Industrial And Life Science Design / Safety Designs category, and the Bronze Award in the Lighting / Special Purpose Lighting category. This innovative lighting product, conceived during the Covid-19 epidemic outbreak for the disinfection of homes and public spaces, perfectly combines LED and UVC light (UVC Tube – 15 W) technology with a minimalist and organic design that makes it blend seamlessly in any environment, be it a living room at home, a workspace or a hotel.

GERMILED | N27 DUO LIGHT lamp | García Requejo

In the same field “Product Design”, VONDOM has received a Bronze Award for its VOXEL chair, a design by Karim Rashid in the Outdoor and Exercise Equipment / Patio / Garden Furniture and Accessories category. Based on the Vertex Chair, a former piece by VONDOM, the chair features an angular, faceted design that has been achieved thanks to the injection moulding technique.

VOXEL chair | Karim Rashid | VONDOM

Its light structure and well-distributed weight provide the piece with stability while making it easy to move.

German Design AWARDS 2021

Founded ten years ago, these distinguished awards are released by the German Design Council, which each year recognizes groundbreaking design achievements that provide solutions to major challenges of our time and envisage design developments for the future.

This year, Spanish brands recognized include ANDREU WORLD, EXPORMIM and ONDARRETA, as well as designers Patricia Urquiola and Didac Ballester and the architecture studio Fran Silvestre.

ANDREU WORLD won the award for “Excellent Product Design” in the “Gardening and Outdoor Living” section with the AIRE OUTDOOR collection, designed by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga. Developed according to the highest quality and sustainable standards for materials, such as injected and extruded aluminium, anti-oxidation steel, and technical self-supporting Batyline® fabrics, the collection is composed of armchairs, lounge chairs and chaise lounges.

AIRE OUTDOOR collection | Piergiorgio Cazzaniga | ANDREU WORLD

The brand received also a special mention in the same product section, for the NUEZ OUTDOOR chair, a design by Patricia Urquiola and Andreu World. The new outdoor version of the successful NUEZ chair has been redesigned with two new weather-resistant bases – a four-legged teak base and a metal sled base – that make it suitable for outdoor use. The removable seat cushions are also designed for outdoor use.

NUEZ OUTDOOR chair | Patricia Urquiola | ANDREU WORLD

Inspired by the Olas (waves) that rise from the Cantabrian Sea in winter, the OLA modular space divider had success in the Office Furniture section of the “Excellent Product Design” category. The jury has stated that this room divider, created by Silvia Ceñal for the Basque ONDARRETA, is a useful accessory that creates privacy whilst giving rooms a special cosy atmosphere and maximizing the functionality and versatility of spaces.

OLA space divider | Silvia Ceñal | ONDARRETA

Didac Ballester is the graphic designer who created the new website for outdoor and indoor furniture specialist EXPORMIM which won the German Design Award 2021 in the category “Excellent Communications Design Web”.

New web | Didac Ballester | EXPORMIM

The jury stated how outstanding web design can stage the amazing combination of highest standard materials and contemporary design which is so typical of the best Spanish tradition.

NYCxDESIGN Awards

Now in its sixth year, the NYCxDESIGN Awards honour outstanding projects and products in categories that span major areas of design. Winners and honorees were announced May 17-18 during virtual ceremonies hosted by the prestigious US magazine Interior Design. Spanish companies recognized included ANDREU WORLD, GAN RUGS, DIABLA, GANDIABLASCO, EXPORMIM and NOW CARPETS.

The NUEZ LOUNGE BIO® chair, which is the latest addition to the successful NUEZ family created by Patricia Urquiola for ANDREU WORLD, has been recognized as the best “Iconic Design”. With a three-dimensional, enveloping shell, which folds like a sheet of paper, this new lounge chair retains all the technological features of the original collection while integrating sustainable materials, such as the thermopolymer of natural origin and the Pure Eco® fabrics. In addition, it is 100% recyclable and is designed so that the materials that comprise it can be easily separated: shell, foam, fabric, wood or aluminium base.

NUEZ LOUNGE BIO® chair | Patricia Urquiola | ANDREU WORLD

Together with the lounge chair designed by Patricia Urquiola, the Andreu World’s New York showroom has also received an honoree as one of the best Large Retail/Showroom in New York for the Projects category.

ANDREU WORLD’s NYC showroom

GAN – a brand of the Gandia Blasco Group – has also enjoyed success winning the NYCxDESIGN Award in the Contract Flooring category. The PATCH and CORD collections, designed by Patricia Urquiola for the line that GAN edits exclusively for Haworth, a world leader in workspaces, include two series of rugs in four colours each, all of them made from 100% recycled PET fibres, a highly resistant material that adapts perfectly to the working environment.

PATCH rug | Patricia Urquiola | GAN for Haworth

Special recognitions have also been received by GANDIABLASCO and DIABLA, the other two brands of the Gandia Blasco Group. DIABLA has received an honoree mention for the GRILL collection in the Outdoor Furniture Collection category. Conceived by Alberto Sánchez and Eduardo Villalón, founders of MUT Design, the GRILL Collection stands out for its architectural nature based on the principles of pure geometry and minimalism.

GRILL outdoor lounge furniture | MUT Design | DIABLA

The informal elegance of the CAPA Collection from GANDIABLASCO caught the attention of the jury that decided to honour it with a special mention in the same category as GRILL. With CAPA, Søren Rose instils the essence of Scandinavian design into the Mediterranean-inspired lifestyle so typical of the GANDIABLASCO’s collections. Minimal aesthetic, functionality and sustainability combine perfectly in this compact and versatile series, specially designed to convert all types of outdoor environments into the most intimate and welcoming experiences.

CAPA outdoor lounge furniture | Søren Rose | GANDIABLASCO

THE SEA AND THE SAND hand-knotted rug, NOW CARPETS’s last launch, designed by Rafael Alvarez, was recognized in the “Residential Flooring” for its colourful, geometric design inspired by marine landscapes.

THE SEA AND THE SUN rug | Rafael Alvarez | NOW CARPETS

Finally, the “Greater Good: Environment Impact” section, which includes the best eco-friendly proposals, also has one Spanish firm among its special mentions. EXPORMIM, for its ALTET dining chair with a well-executed structure made of peeled and tinted natural rattan.

ALTET dining chair | EXPORMIM

Attractive, functional designs, vibrant colours, smart solutions and a lot of attention to sustainability are the key to the triumph of Spain’s design at major awards show all over the world. Stay tuned for more news!

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The Spanish design triumphs at the prestigious IF Design Awards 2021