The International Interior Design Association and BMW Group DesignworksUSA announced the Best of Competition winner for the second annual Global Excellence Awards: Water Chamber in Suzhou designed by Shanghai Lv Yong Zhong Art & Design Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, China. The Global Excellence Awards is an international Interior Design competition honoring the best in Interior Design projects from around the world. The winning entry was selected from 92 international design firms from 32 countries around the globe.
The Best of Competition winner was revealed and all winners were celebrated at a special presentation during Maison&Objet on January 21, 2012 in Paris, France. The Best of Competition winner received a one-of-a-kind Swarovski crystal award, unveiled for the first time at the ceremony, and was previously chosen from projects submitted in ten practice areas, including: Corporate Space Large, Corporate Space Small, Cultural/Institutional/Educational, Healthcare, Hotels, Municipal/Public Spaces, Residences, Restaurants, Retail and Spas/Fitness/Wellness Centers.
The 2011 judging panel included Mari Balestrazzi, Senior Vice President of Design at Morgans Hotel Group; Julio Braga, Design Principal at IA Interior Architects; Patrick McEneany, Creative Director of BMW Group DesignworksUSA and Joey Shimoda, IIDA, CEO of Shimoda Design Group.
The judges recognized the sophisticated style and excellent design in the Best of Competition winner Shanghai Lv Yong Zhong Art & Design Co., Ltd.'s project Water Chamber in Suzhou. "The project was elegant with restrained solution that weaved together a diverse program into a unified concept," said Mari Balestrazzi.
The category competition winners were announced in early December, 2011, representing the best of outstanding originality and excellence in the creation of international Interior Design/architecture projects.