Iconic Awards 2022: Innovative Architecture with Herzog & de Meuron

The ICONIC AWARDS 2022: Innovative Architecture, organised by the German Design Council, honour the best architecture and design solutions internationally. This year’s winners have now been announced and can look forward to their prestigious awards. The special awards, which each come with EUR 10,000 in prize money, are being presented to Herzog & de Meuron (»Architects of the Year«) and Matteo Thun & Partners (»Interior Designers of the Year«). The honorary »Architects’ Client of the Year« award is going to the city of Bruges for it’s »The Bruges Diptych« project.

The award recipients will be celebrated at a ceremony taking place at BMW Welt in Munich on 5 October 2022. Alongside the special awards, the jury is also honouring the best work in the categories of »Architecture«, »Interior«, »Product«, »Communication« and »Concept« as well as the general category of »Innovative Material«.

Architects of the Year: Special Award

In awarding it »Architects of the Year«, the jury is recognising the work of the internationally successful architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. The Basel-based architect duo have influenced urban and architectural design for more than 40 years and have completed outstanding projects on almost all continents.

Whether new build or existing structures, whether in urban centres or open landscapes, they always find specific solutions and impress with extraordinary material clarity and architectural diversity. Through their designs and buildings, they continually prove that they are among the most influential architects of our time. The most recent examples of this are the extension of the Museum Küppersmühle for Modern Art and the M+ Museum in Hong Kong, which both opened in 2021.

Interior Designers of the Year: Special Award

This year’s »Interior Designers of the Year« award is being given to Matteo Thun & Partners. As a founding member of Milan-based design group Memphis, Matteo Thun achieved international renown back in the early 1980s. He has influenced international design discourse ever since. From the iconic espresso cup for Illy to the grand Bar Campari in Vienna, the Italian architect and designer embodies compelling design.

In conjunction with his 80 employees, he designs everything that people need, from crockery to home and office decoration as well as hospital interiors. The projects impress with timeless, long-lasting and subtle design as well as a holistic problem-solving approach. With its »Conscious Design« label, Matteo Thun & Partners also develops a laudable alternative to the complexity of today’s sustainability certifications in design.

Architects’ Client of the Year: Honour

The honorary »Architects’ Client of the Year« award is given out by the jury to commend a client that promotes a comprehensive understanding of architecture through its work. This year, it is being presented to the city of Bruges, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for its »The Bruges Diptych« project.

One of 13 outdoor installations commissioned by the city for the 2021 Bruges Triennial, the temporary »The Bruges Diptych« pavilion by American architect Jon Lott t became an outstanding project. The wooden event and exhibition pavilion floats on pontoons between the walls of Bruges’ old town in an exhilarating way, connecting historic architecture with a modern use of forms based on high design standards. Furthermore, it visually extends the facade of a historic canal house across the water while opening out into two identical facades, like a diptych made of two parts. The architects incorporate the theme of the 2021 Bruges Triennial, »TraumA«, in a subtle yet memorable way and create an inspirational location that invites visitors to pause and ponder.