And the winners are…

VISI has announced the winners of the annual Absolut VISI Designer of the Year awards. The awards, which aim to recognise and reward South Africa’s top designs, were handed out at a jungle-themed ceremony and party held at Wembley Square Two in Cape Town on Friday 2 March.

“The awards are one of the highlights on the VISI calendar,” says VISI editor Jacquie Myburgh Chemaly. “It is an opportunity for us, along with our partner Absolut Vodka, to celebrated the remarkable design work that has been produced over the past year and to honour the people behind it.”

 This year, for the first time, VISI has introduced four different categories instead of an umbrella award covering all design disciplines. The categories are Design, Interiors, Architecture and Emerging Designer. The winner in each category receives a R10 000 voucher from Paul Smith in South Africa. Industry peers, along with members of the VISI editorial team, as well as internationally renowned trend forecaster Li Edelkoort, judged each category.

And the winners are…

In the Design category, Pierre Cronje beat out the finalists with his Simply Pierre range. The range has made Pierre’s signature craftsmanship more accessible without compromising on quality. “It is honest and giving,” said international judge Li Edelkoort.

Former magazine editor turned farmer and hotelier, Karen Roos won the Interiors category with Babylonstoren farm hotel.

Judge Shelley Street, stylist and creative consultant to Weylandts, remarked that Karen’s work is timeless, considered, simple and sensual – always with an unexpected edge. “Unique references to nature and history permeate her interiors and I find the conservatory particularly special as it recaptures in a fresh way an era of elegance, beauty and nostalgia so lacking in many designs today.” 

The Architecture category went to Nina Cohen, Fiona Garson and William Martinson for the WITS Art Museum, recently opened in the burgeoning Braamfontein district in Johannesburg.

“The success of its resolution resides, not simply in the compelling spatial resolution of its architecture that is aesthetically pleasing, but more so in the creative design translation of a problem of considerable complexity,” said Professor Iain Low of UCT, one of the judges in this category. 

Michaella Janse van Vuuren of Nomili scooped the Emerging Designer category with her extraordinary three dimensional printing designs.

Judge Cecile Froehling, head of buying at Woolworths Home Department, said that she was swayed by Michaella’s originality in process, concept and the pure fantasy aspect of her work: “It made me look, and look again, and marvel at the objects as well as how she creates these fabulous creatures of her imagination.”

Lighting designer Paul Pamboukian was also honoured as the recipient of a 2012 Special Award winner for his sustained contribution to South African design, not only through his own work but also with the Haute Lumiere Lighting Design competition that encourages an exploration of light as design medium.

The latest issue of VISI (VISI 59, on sale now) that features the winning Babylonstoren conservatory on the cover, also features a special design section dedicated to the Absolut VISI Designer of the Year awards as well as a Design Directory of top designs shops.

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COMPLETE LIST OF 2012 FINALISTS

DESIGN

Pierre Cronje for Simply Pierre range

Amanda Haupt and Lise Butler of Design Team for Young at Heart

John Vogel for the Corn Circle table

Adam Levin and Alex Albertyn for the Ball and Neon Upcycling range

ARCHITECTURE

Nina Cohen and Fiona Garsen with William Martinson for Osmond Lange architects, Wits Art Museum

Martin Kruger for House Cruise

Richard Stretton of Koop Design for the Midlands chapel

Karlien Thomashoff of Thomashoff + Partner Architects for House Rooke

INTERIORS

Karen Roos for Babylonstoren

Cecile & Boyd for Singita Explore

Tonic for Slow in the City

Lupini Architects and Dakota Interiors for Hotel Lamunu Braamfontein

EMERGING DESIGNER

Michaella Janse Van Vuuren of Nomili for her 3D printing designs

Amanda du Plessis and Elizabeth Pulles for school chair project

Philip Nel for the Inizio modular home

Laurie Wiid van Heerden

THE JUDGES

Nico Botes, of the department of Interior Architecture at University of Pretoria

Roy Jones, of the department of Interior Design at the University of Johannesburg

Shelley Street, stylist and creative consultant to Weylandts

Gerhard Swart & Anthony Harris, previous winners and designers and owners of Ceramic Matters

Philippe Van Der Merwe, interior designer from Tonic

Chris Zimberlin, owner of Limeline design boutique

Hugh Fraser, architect, inveterate architectural photographer as well as general manager of PG Glass

Alta Steenkamp, Associate Professor and Director of the UCT School of Architecture, Planning & Geomatics

Iain Low, UCT Architecture Academic and editor of the Digest of South African Architecture

Trevyn & Julian McGowan, the owners of Source, a company taking this country’s designs to all corners of the globe.

Dion Chang, the owner of Flux Trends as well as one of South Africa’s best-known style commentators and writers.

Cecile Froehling, the head of buying at Woolworths home department.

Greg Gamble, interior designer from Tonic

Adam Levin, owner of Imagine Nation and African design consultant

Joining the judges from the VISI side were:

Annemarie Meintjes – VISI Deputy Editor

Etienne Hanekom – VISI Art Director

Klara van Wyngaarden – VISI Décor Editor