Design award attracts over 7,000 entries

Shenzhen, China's "City of Design," has once again attracted global attention. This year, the 11th Idea-Tops Award has received a total of 7,712 entries from 63 countries and regions. The number of participating countries and design projects has exceeded those of the previous years. Such an increase once again demonstrates the great attraction of the Chinese market.

The Idea-Tops Award is not only the most internationally influential design award in China, but also one of the most popular awards among designers. The award was launched in Shenzhen, the first Chinese city that was recognized by the UNESCO as a "City of Design" and also the most developed city in China's design industry. In recent years, Shenzhen has held a series of design events with international influences. Great efforts were made to improve the competitiveness of the design industry in Shenzhen, which resulted in a booming design industry in the city with growing international influences.

Shenzhen, the pilot city of China's reform and opening-up. Photo by Xiao Dongsheng

The Idea-Tops Award is based in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and is highly regarded by the design community for its professionalism, international influence and authority. The annual Idea-Tops Awarding Ceremony attracts the attention of the design industries from all over the world, and has become a platform for international architects and designers to learn about Chinese designs and take part in the construction of major projects in China. This year, despite of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of entries has increased to 7,712, including projects submitted by designers and architects from 63 countries and regions, reflecting the great attraction of China's construction market and showing the international influence of the Idea-Tops Award.

According to the information released by the secretariat of the organizing committee of the Idea-Tops Award, the entries of the 11th Idea-Tops Award fall into 18 categories including architectural design, interior design, lighting design and displaying art design (soft decoration design). Architectural design projects accounted for 14.04% of the total. Among them, residential design projects accounted for 28.29%, dining space design projects accounted for 8.4%, office design projects accounted for 8.58%, commercial space design projects accounted for 10.69%, hotel design projects accounted for 4.35%, exhibition space design projects accounted for 7.31%, and club design projects accounted for 2.18%. In addition, this year's displaying art design projects (soft decoration design) saw an increase of 5.32%, reflecting that people's pursuit of a life of higher quality is becoming the main direction of consumption upgrade.

The 11th Idea-Tops Award has the largest number and the widest range of entries when compared to the previous years. Participants included designers and architects from countries and regions such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Germany, France, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Israel, Cyprus, Bangladesh, Hungary, and Kuwait. A large number of top design firms around the world have also submitted projects to the Idea-Tops Award, including: Heatherwick Studio, Gensler, Woods Bagot, 10 Design, Benoy, HOK, NBBJ, UNStudio, Perkins&Will, SAOTA, Roth Architecture, MIA Architecture, Gensler, PCA-Stream, noa*, Daan Roosegaarde, Pedro Rica Bayo, Peter Pichler Architecture and etc.

“We attended and participated in the 9th Idea-Tops Award in Shenzhen in 2019, and as a company, we met incredible people and gained knowledge and insight on design trends. Being part of the award previously was such a privilege, because it’s the most internationalized and authoritative design award in China, so this year we submitted again. We work in 86 countries worldwide, and China is an important market for us. This award is an opportunity for us to share our latest international designs with a global market,” Said Greg Truen, a partner in the SAOTA design company in South Africa.

Filippo Caprioglio is a design director of Caprioglio Architects, a famous Italian design company.

“The Idea-Tops Award, for its prestigious tradition and innovative format is the perfect platform to have the real insight of the path that architecture has taken. It is an honor for our company to participate in the award with such a professional jury,” Said Caprioglio.

“In the past 11 years, I have participated in the major events of Idea-Tops Award and personally experienced and witnessed the vigorous development of the award. All the 7,712 entries from 63 countries and regions prove that the Idea-Tops Award has become a professional design award, trusted by designers and architects all over the world. Today, as the world has entered a new stage of the development of intelligent cities, I believe that, supported by China’s huge market, the Idea-Tops Award will become the benchmark of the world's high-quality design awards, and make a significant contribution to urban construction and development,” said Professor Wang Tie, dean of the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Central Academy of Fine Arts.

The year of 2021 is the historical intersection of China's "Two Centenaries" and the first year of the "14th Five-Year Plan." High-quality design is the key path that leads to high-quality development. The Idea-Tops Award has played a leading role in the international space design industries and has already become an engine for industrial development.

It is reported that the entries of the 11th Idea-Tops Award are being reviewed. The primary review has begun and will continue through March. The international jury will review the entries based on the four aspects of innovation, function, artistry and environmental protection to discover the best designers and design projects around the world. The Awarding Ceremony of 11th Idea-Tops Award will be held on May 27 at the Window of the World in Shenzhen. It is expected that nearly a thousand outstanding architects, designers and entrepreneurs will attend the event to witness this glorious moment in the global design industry. And the winners of 11th Idea-Tops Award will become the focus of the global design community.