29. 10. 2018
Celebrating its 20th Year, Designblok Presents Awards to the Best Designers, Design Studios and Producers
The Designblok Awards were distributed to the winning designers and companies across 10 categories on Saturday, October 27, 2018. In addition to best products, lights, furniture and interior accessories, categories also included Best Jewellery Collection and Outstanding Achievement. Among the winners were Tereza Lexová and Štěpán Smetana, Karel Matějka, Kateřina Reich and Czech brands TON, Javorina and U1. Special festival cockades were presented to the winners by Designblok directors Jana Zielinski and Jiří Macek on Designérie’s main stage.
Lucie Koldová was awarded for the Chips chair, a collection of manually bent chairs designed for TON. The chairs were displayed at the Superstudio lounge. In other categories, Karel Matějka won for his newest product – One Zero – a lamp based on the principle of balancing, and Katerina Reich for Kyō, her jewellery collection inspired by the charming world of Japanese art. The Faculty of Art and Design at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem was also awarded for its KosmogoniE project at the Planetarium in Prague. Outstanding Achievement went to Canapé by Soffa for their installation linking the unconventional premises of Obecní Dvůr with the world of contemporary design and food.
Each year Designblok supports a charitable project in the form of a financial gift. This year Debra NGO was acknowledged for its support of people suffering from Epidermolysis bullosa. NADOTEK – a joint collection by fashion designer Liběna Rochová and the artist Musa, premiered on the Designblok catwalk on Friday, October 26. At the end of the show a cheque for CZK 100,000 was presented to Debra ČR by Designblok’s directors. Models are available for purchase at Superstudio in the Right Wing of the Industrial Palace right up until the end of the festival.
Winners of the 2018 Designblok Awards
1. Best Furniture Collection
NOMINEES: Herrmann & Coufal / Master & Master, Spaghetti collection; Lucie Koldová / TON, Chips chair; Vrtiška Žák / Javorina
WINNER: Lucie Koldová / TON, Chips chair
2. Best Collection of Interior Accessories
NOMINEES: Milan Pekař / Jakub Vávra, Gradient collection; Lukáš Novák Studio, Lost & Found collection; Terezie Lexová & Štěpán Smetana, Mirror Stage mirrors
WINNER: Terezie Lexová & Štěpán Smetana / Mirror Stage mirrors
3. Best Lighting Collection
NOMINEES: Dechem, For You from Czechoslovakia lighting concept; Michal Pražský, Waves Lights; Karel Matějka, One Zero lamp
WINNER: Karel Matějka, One Zero lamp
4. Best Jewellery Collection
NOMINEES: Janja Prokič, HOMA ∇ collection; Katerina Reich, Kyō collection; Kristýna Malovaná, jewellery for Komunikace collection
WINNER: Katerina Reich, Kyō collection
5. Best New Product by a Designer or Design Studio
NOMINEES: Malai Biomaterials project; Maria Nina Václavková, Offcuts project; Marshmallow table tennis, studio vono
WINNER: Maria Nina Václavková, Offcuts project
6. Best New Product by a Producer
NOMINEES: Janošík okna-dveře, Skywall Sparrow windows; U1, Only Two; Ravak, SOLO bath tub
WINNER: U1, Only Two
7. Best Installation by a Producer or Distributor
NOMINEES: Artisème; Javorina; Swissdent
WINNER: Swissdent
8. Best Installation by a Designer or Design Studio
NOMINEES: Distort; Milimu; LLEV
WINNER: Milimu
9. Best Presentation by a School Studio
NOMINEES: Industrial Design Studio, Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Tomas Bata University, Zlín; Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar, Universität der Künste, Berlin; Faculty of Art and Design, Jan Evangelisty Purkyně University, Ústí nad Labem
WINNER: Faculty of Art and Design, Jan Evangelisty Purkyně University, Ústí nad Labem
10. Outstanding Achievement
NOMINEES: Canapé by SOFFA; Fire Walk with Me, Rony Plesl; Yes We Can, Maxim Velčovský
WINNER: Canapé by SOFFA