Museum of Meenakir Heritage & Flagship Store for Sunita Shekhawat by Studio Lotus.
Surface Design Awards has proudly announced the winners of its prestigious 2025 awards, celebrating excellence in the innovation and use of surfaces across the built environment.
The awards ceremony saw hundreds of people gather to celebrate the winners. Held on the evening of Wednesday 5th February, it brought together the design and architectural community to recognise outstanding projects that demonstrate both creativity and a commitment to sustainable practices. Presented by property expert and broadcaster Kunle Barker, winners were presented with trophies designed using repurposed plastic by The Good Plastic Company.
The 2025 Surface Design Awards, which are part of the larger Surface Design Show (SDS), received a wide array of submissions from around the globe, showcasing a diverse range of projects that push the boundaries of material use and design. The winners were selected by a panel of distinguished design and architectural professionals, led by Jorge Méndez-Cáceres, founding director of For Everyday Life, and Tony Chambers, founder of TC & Friends.
The judging panel also included Amrit Seera, architect at Vabel, Jon Eaglesham, managing director at Barr Gazettas, James Dixon, director at Darling Associates, Vicki Odili, director of sustainability at TP Bennett, Lee Roberts, director at Zebra, Pernille Bonser, CEO of Resonate, Simon Hamilton, interior designer and associate lecturer & future practice leader at The Royal College of Art and Amber Luscombe, head of ESG and senior development nanager at Oxygen.
Sponsored by Informare, the Commercial Building Exterior award was won by the Museum of Meenakari by Studio Lotus. Judges praised its ‘gorgeous use of terracotta’ enabling the ‘interpretation of tradition in a modern way’. The Commercial Building Interior award went to Roast&Toast by tHE gRID architects, a cafe and bakery in India which utilises local materials including clay and cow dung.
The Housing Interior category sponsored by Fabco went to Cousins & Cousins for their beautifully maximalist Parisian Apartment and the Housing Exterior award went to Novak Hiles Architects for their work on Bella Mews. Judges stated that the design was ‘super clever’ with particular intrigue over the user of brick.
Grilinda restaurant Mayfair by Accanto Interiors LTD took home the award for Light and Surfaces Interior and A reflection of who we are by Neolith won the Light and Surfaces Exteriors award with judges loving the “evocative idea behind capturing the light without even knowing what is behind the mirrors”.
Wonderlab the Bramall Gallery by De Matos Ryan won the Public Realm Interior Award, and the Public Realm Exterior award went to Horatio’s Garden Chelsea by Harris Bugg Studio with judges stating that they “love the use of the terracotta, which is made even better with it being an eco-product”.
Sponsored by The Good Plastic Company, Surface of the Year Interior went to Brecciasphere Lite by Sphere8, and Surface of the Year Exterior was won by Buttermarket Oseng-Rees Recycled Glass Shingle Facade courtesy of Architectural Thread.
Judges commented on the ‘great use of bespoke material’ and ‘a brilliant historical reference’.
The Architectural Photography winner was Old Billingsgate Rooftops by Phil Hutchinson. Judges liked the “strong use of vertical angles from the frame to the building itself”.
The Supreme Winner award sponsored by Business Design Centre goes to the project or surface that the judges deemed to be the best of the best from the selection of finalists.
The award was given to the Museum of Meenakir Heritage & Flagship Store for Sunita Shekhawat by Studio Lotus.
Judges stated that it was “a beautiful surface with beautiful character” and that it “lights up like a jewel at night”.
See page 32 of our February/March 2025 issue on our Back Issues page.
