Paragon Interface wins international design award for 1 Discovery Place
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This represents major global recognition of South African talent and expertise, Paragon Interface Director Claire D’Adorante comments. “We are very proud to have won this award, and what it means for the South African interior design industry. This was a once-in-a-lifetime project that was not only an immense privilege for the entire team to work on, but one that has placed South African design firmly on the map, as showcased by this international accolade.”
Billed as the most prestigious awards event on the global interior design calendar, the entries in the 14 categories are subjected to a strict three-tier judging process to ensure all entries are carefully scrutinised for their technical standards and creative calibre.
The Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID) states that, “while design, when it works well, can lift the spirit and inspire, design is not merely a veneer that pleases the eye. In order for a building, product or even an idea to be deemed ‘well-designed’, it must be function well and be fit for purpose in addition to having aesthetic value.”
The SBID International Design Awards celebrate all aspects of great design, from aesthetics to functionality. The first round of the three-tier voting system is judged by a specially-selected technical panel of experts. Each year, the group consists of professionals working in many areas of design and industry.
The individuals are highly knowledgeable about the latest industry standards and technical innovations. This includes ensuring that every entry adheres to industry standards and is genuinely fit-for-purpose. The next stage is assessed by an expert panel of judges, with the public contributing 30% of the vote.
The judges’ citation for Discovery’s new head office highlights the main entrance as being open and welcoming, thereby reflecting the corporate values of the client. Internally, the building is divided into three main atria, namely a central atrium, and one each on the left and right side.
The central atrium allowed Paragon Interface to explore the concept of a concourse, driven by Discovery’s requirement for the building to be active. This was not only translated effectively into a dynamic design aesthetic, but also into an active public street populated with seating areas, cafés, streetlights, and tree canopies.
The 130 000 m2 Phase 1 was completed in October 2017, and Phase 2 in April 2018. “It presented tremendous opportunities for us in terms of the tenant’s willingness to explore quite a dramatic design, and one that incorporated new design strategies to drive significant changes to their dynamic workplace culture,” D’Adorante highlights.
The swooping, curving patterns and shapes that define the architectural identity of the building not only influenced the interior, but has resulted in it becoming one of the most progressive workspaces in South Africa.
“Instead of being a faceless corporate space, what we achieved here is inviting and welcoming, as well as calming and uplifting. We could only have achieved this through our closest attention to the smallest of details, which took the macro level in terms of the architecture through to every single aspect of the final building,” D’Adorante concludes.
Ends
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Notes to the Editor
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About Paragon
Paragon, established in October 1997, is an internationally-active design business, based in Johannesburg. We deliver commercial architecture, masterplanning, interior design, and space planning to visionary clients in all property sectors, from retail to residential and education.
We are committed to global urban development. We are able and agile. Paragon is flexible and diverse in its approach to design. Each project is unique and not driven by style, but by lifestyle and a response to user needs. Elegant and efficient planning form the core of our designs. We understand the needs of our clients, and know how to generate ever new architectural forms in a competitive property market.
We are known for hands-on engagement with all opportunities present in the modern global building industry. The true measure of our skill is our ability to engage at all levels and with all players that make up the colourful world of construction and property development. Our buildings look forward. We embrace the future, because we will be a part of it – part of its problems and responsibilities, and part of its great freedoms and achievements.
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