The winners were announced at the Design Guild Mark ceremony, which took place on Tuesday 22 May at Bisley’s new Dallington Street showroom in London as part of Clerkenwell Design Week.
The Jonathan Hindle Prize is awarded to the most outstanding of the year’s Design Guild Mark awarded pieces in both the furniture and 2D categories. Both winners received a stunning trophy, which was sponsored and made from solid surface Corian®, and a £1,000 cash prize.
Rodney McMahon, Design Guild Mark chairman, commented: “The judges voted to award the Magnetic Copper Cube the Jonathan Hindle Prize as they were intrigued by the novelty and originality of the concept. It allows the owner to construct and rearrange their own unique design in unlimited configurations.”
He added: “The Silicastone collection received the Jonathan Hindle Prize as the best of the 2D Design Guild Mark because of the technique behind blending such diverse sources into a recycled product - it is really innovative and capable of being used in a very wide variety of applications, bringing real value to the specifier.”
Magnetic Copper Cubes, designed by Paul Kelley for Paul Kelley Ltd, can be used in a wide range of designs, from purely sculptural blocks to coffee tables, chairs and walls. The magnetic system allows the cube to connect in any direction and gives the end user complete freedom to choose their design and change it whenever they desire.
Commenting on receiving the award, Paul said: "For once words almost fail me as I am just so pleased that my work has been understood, recognised and honoured by this award. I cannot thank all the people involved enough.”
Silicastone, designed by Alasdair Bremner & David Binns for Panaz, is an eco-architectural material made from 100% recycled post-consumer glass and pre-consumer vitrified ceramic that has marked a paradigm shift in sustainable architectural surfaces. Manufactured in England, Silicastone can be used for interior and exterior applications, including wall tiles, furniture, table tops or as solid surfaces.
Professor David Binns & Dr Alasdair Bremner commented: “We’re thrilled to have won these awards, the Jonathan Hindle Prize and the Design Guild Mark. They validate our aim to create beautiful work surfaces for a wide range of applications, with very strong design and using green eco materials.”
The Design Guild Mark is awarded by The Furniture Makers’ Company, a City of London livery company and the furnishing industry’s charity, in order to drive excellence and raise the profile of British design and innovation. Now in its 10th year, the Mark recognises the highest standards in the design of furnishings in volume production by the finest designers working in Britain, or British designers working abroad.
The Design Guild Mark is judged by a panel of leading industry professionals. Each member of the panel is from the furniture, interiors, hospitality, commercial, retail, or media industry. Judges must ensure that each design meets the criteria of: excellence in design, materials, manufacture, and function.
Chaired by Rodney McMahon, this year’s furniture judging panel were:
Simon Alderson – twentytwentyone
Joanna Biggs – GA Design
Rosa Bertoli – Wallpaper* Magazine
Barbara Chandler – The Evening Standard
Rodney Kinsman – OMK Design
Tom Pearce – Sebastian Conran Associates
Philippa Prinsloo – John Lewis
Pernille Stafford – Resonate Interiors
Campbell Thompson – The Conran Shop
Terence Woodgate – Terence Woodgate
The 2D judging panel were:
Linzi Coppick - Forme UK
Fiona Knight - Hopwood Design Studios
Prof Clare Johnston - Royal College of Art
Natasha Marshall - Natasha Marshall
Corinne Pringle - tp bennett
Peter Thwaites - Rapture & Wright