Designblok Awards 2024: An international jury acclaimed the best projects of the 26th Designblok festival
4. 10. 2024
An international jury headed by co-CEO of Dezeen online magazine Benedict Hobson selected and acclaimed the winners of the festival’s top honors in seven categories. The Designblok Awards were, for example given to young, international designers who met at last year’s festival, students studying in Berlin, as well as the newly launched two hundred tons design studio. The jury also greatly appreciated the presentation of Květná 1794, a glassworks which had almost gone out of business earlier this year. The Grand Prix (Award for Outstanding Achievement) was awarded to Moser and their artistic director Jan Plecháč. The Impact Award was awarded for the very first time in the festival’s history, going to Studio LLEV, led by Eva and Marcel Mochal, as the jury appreciated their contribution to the evolution of two traditional Czech manufacturers – the Harrachov glass factory and Rautis, a producer of bead decorations. The Designblok Awards 2024 ceremony took place on Thursday, 3 October 2024 as part of a gala evening at Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle. Voting on the Public Choice Award will continue on the website designblok.cz until Sunday evening, when the public’s favorite project will be announced on Czech Radio’s Radiožurnál show.
The annual goal of the Designblok Awards is to highlight the best works produced by hundreds of the festival’s exhibitors in a number of set categories. This was already the third time that the organizers left the decision to an independent international jury which toured the festival in order to thoroughly engage with the exhibited works and their creators. The role of President who is responsible for the jury’s composition and the entire voting process was filled by Ben Hobson, co-CEO of Dezeen, the world’s leading design website. The jury of the 26th edition of the Designblok Awards also included Yoko Choy, creative consultant, journalist, and head of Wallpaper China* magazine, as well as the Swedish multidisciplinary design duo Emma Marga Blanche and Fredrik Färg. Exhibiting designers had the unique opportunity to present their works personally to top international experts and find out how they fared in global comparison. “It’s wonderful to be back in Prague, to discover new stories and to see that the quality of the exhibited projects and their presentations has improved yet again. Designblok is an event that connects quality designers, leading European manufacturers, as well as students. It has created a unique platform for sharing inspiration and networking, which not only highlights talents but also helps create them,” said Hobson.
The jury considered the brand two hundred tons, led by Adam and Monika Štok, as the best new design studio, awarded for their collection Unroll, which experiments with the shaping of metal profiles. “A strong and streamlined visual language, a presentation polished to the last detail, minimalist and very elegant products – these are qualities you rarely find in such a young brand,” explained Yoko Choy, justifying the jury’s decision. The award for the best new manufacturer went to the traditional Czech company MIKOV for their OFFICE collection, designed by Natálie Navrátilová. The jury appreciated the collaboration between the young designer and a company with a 230-year history, as well as the collection’s polished visual presentation.
The title for the Best Designer Presentation was awarded to Janek Beau, Friedrich Gerlach, Julia Huhnholz and Esmée Willemsen for their project Add Wood: Perspectives on Printable Timber. This quartet of designers first met in Prague last year during the Designblok Diploma Selection competition, and this year, they returned to the festival to present objects made from the new econitWood material, composed of recycled wood waste and using technologies which push large-format 3D printing beyond their current limits, produced in collaboration with Additive Tectonics. “We are thrilled to have received the award. We met in Prague one year ago while presenting our diploma projects, and we became friends during the preparations and the festival. And now, we are standing on stage, receiving this prestigious award. It’s a message to young designers that together, a good team can achieve more than a good individual. Designblok is our love story!” commented German designer Friedrich Gerlach.
The award for Best Producer Presentation went to the daring exhibition of the revived Květná 1794 glassworks, designed by Klára Janypková and Tomáš Kučera. “A playful and poetic installation that manages to attract the attention of visitors, despite the fact that the glassworks has not yet introduced a new product. Květná 1794 sends a clear message that there is much to look forward to,” said Emma Marga Blanche. Among the school presentations, the win went to the collaborative project between the Berlin University of the Arts and Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar, with their students presenting the results of a joint workshop at the French Centre International d'Art Verrier de Meisenthal center for glass, supervised by professor Ineke Hans and professor Mark Braun.
The Grand Prix (Award for Outstanding Achievement) was awarded to last year’s double winner, the Moser glassworks which, led by artistic director Jan Plecháč, presented new collections in the High Craft exhibition at the Prague Castle Riding School, and also presented sand – the basic raw material for glass production. “Choosing winners in many categories was difficult this year, but this decision was relatively easy. Moser stood out – showcasing magnificent new pieces that continue in the boldly creative direction which started at last year’s Designblok, while at the same time drawing from the brand’s rich heritage. The presentation was simple, yet powerful,” emphasized jury president Benedict Hobson.
For the first time in history, the festival awarded its Impact Award. This award used to be given for sustainable design in the past. But based on feedback received from international juries, the organizers decided to open the category to a broader range of achievements. “With this award, we wanted to celebrate and bring attention to the work of LLEV studio, whose contribution in one particular sphere is immense. LLEV studio works with two very traditional companies – the Harrachov Glassworks and Rautis, the Poniklá-based Christmas decorations manufacturer. By means of new collections, creative leadership, rebranding, and other activities, they help ensure the companies’ successful future,” added Hobson.
Voting for the Public Award on the website designblok.com continues until 6PM on Sunday, 6 October. The most popular project chosen by the public will be announced by festival director Jana Zielinski after 6PM during a live broadcast on Czech Radio’s Radiožurnál.
The 26th Designblok continues until 6 October 2024 in the space of Prague Castle, the Museum of Prague, Bastion Florenc, the Museum of Decorative Arts and other locations around Prague. The Bóda Horák: Biosphere exhibition is open until 28 October 2024. You can find the complete program and tickets at designblok.cz.
