Earlier this month, Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Hotel hosted the INSIDE Festival – an awards program specific to interior design for which around 400 projects from around the globe were submitted under 17 categories like culture, civic & community, house, museum, schools, hotel/leisure etc.

Sadly I missed this exciting festival hosted by my previous home city of 8 years this year. Hopefully I’ll be there to soak in all the award ceremonies, lectures by architects/designers and exhibitions in future! For now, I’ve sifted through tons of shortlisted interiors to bring you these highlights:

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1) Fai-Fah

‍ Fai-Fah is a community center where underprivileged children can take part in creative activities and workshops as a means of self-development:

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2) Carrer Avinyo 34

This is the winning entry of the year. Located in Barcelona, it’s a holiday home for two brothers. The highlight of the design are the triangular floor tiles (made of 25 different designs!) which gradually change colors from red to green:

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3) Auckland Art Gallery

This gallery is a reflection of the natural landscape around the site. I really like the canopies covered with wood from recycled trees which float above the space:

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4) Crumpler Prahran

This store in Australia is a canvas of monochromatic finishes where the products stand out illuminated by a 3 dimensional grid of lights:

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5) PARKROYAL Hotel

Located in the tropical city of Singapore, the PARKROYAL Hotel on Pickering is a pleasant departure from the city’s largely homogeneous skyline. The dramatic undulating layers of pre-cast concrete seamlessly flow into the interiors too. Reminds me of the amazing sandstone rock forms I saw in Utah!

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6) Google Japan

Of all their locations, the new Google office in Japan has got to be the most tolerable in terms of design. I’m happy to see some of that minimalist Japanese aesthetic and culture instead of the usual kaleidoscope of colors and shapes:

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7) Wanangkura Stadium

This is an impressive recreational facility situated in western Australia, a region with extreme climatic conditions and red soil. The facade made of colored cubes contrasts the surrounding tangerine landscape and represents colors of the local team. The building’s textured facade gives a mirage-like appearance from a distance:

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I’m already excited to see next year’s entries. Tell me about your favorites in the comments below!

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