P01

ISSUE 06
$5 CAD¥500

SPECIALEDITION
INTERNATIONALISSN 2817-1276 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-777800-9-9

March 6, 2023

www.merci-magazine.com

VISION, VALUES & UNIQUE TALENTCROSS-DISCIPLINARY AWARDSWith categories that celebrate the crossdisciplinary nature of design and architecture,
the awards highlight the vision, values andunique talents of designers and architects
across the globe.

THE STRENGTHS OF DESIGN

2022 Architecture Gold Winning Project - THE AXIS OF
PEACE by Hakuten Corporation

At the heart of the awards is a belief in thestrengths of design in finding solutions for thechallenges of today and in creating beauty for
all in our world, today and in future.

DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
PRACTICES ACROSS THE GLOBEO NE WORLD
The mission statement of Sky Design Awards is ‘It is time to expand, support andpromote the story of the designers.’ Over five years, the Tokyo-based awards
programme has put itself firmly on the awards map now drawing nominations
from design and architecture practices across the globe.
2022 Interior Design Shortlisted % Arabica Riyadh The Zone by no.10, NOMURA Co., Ltd.

Founded by Peggy Lui in 2019, the aim was always to create a cross-disciplinary

The awards celebrate design and architecture,
showcasing practices across the globe
that are at the forefront of innovation andsustainability.

awards programme to elevate design and bring together designers into acommunity that would showcase the strengths of design to the business world.
Hong Kong designers, for example, are growing in the number of nominations

INTERVIEW

having found the awards programme a vital channel to broadcast their work to
the wider world.
Having researched the awards archive, the calibre of winning and shortlisted
designers is clear to see as is the shared warmth of feeling between awardees.
Without doubt, from its inception, Sky Design Awards has created something
special. The photographic record shows interaction between designers where

Peggy Lui shares the establishment andethos of Sky Design Awards and looks to
the future.

THE POWER OF NOWThe Sky Design Awards collaborates with
global organizations to showcase winningand shortlisted projects internationally.

greetings are exchanged. There is no ageism: venerable elders come together“

Peggy Lui is clear in her visionand passion for developing
connections between designers
through the Sky Design Awards.
Her mantra is ‘The power of now’.
In posing the question to her forthis special edition of One Story,‘The future: what does it hold for
Sky Design Awards?’, her answer
was simple. ‘Limitless’.

with the newly established with awards ceremonies including the offspring ofdesigners who are sweetly embraced into the event.
Showcasing has always been at the heart of Sky Design Awards. In its launchyear, a bound publication, the 2019 Annual, was produced. From 2020 onwards,
the main showcase, apart from the awards ceremony, has become the annual
exhibition where over five days, designers have the opportunity to bring to awide audience of design professionals, media and potential clients their vision,values and unique talent. Commencing in Tiers Gallery, Tokyo, the exhibitions
have subsequently been held in larger gallery spaces in the city.

BY MERCI MAGAZINEVISION, VALUES & UNIQUE TALENT - SKY DESIGN AWARDSP02ISSUE 06

WINNING & SHORTLISTED PROJECTS SINCE 2019 - 2022

Recognising the worth of the awards programme, public bodies“ALL LISTED IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER”

such as the Japan Commercial Environmental Design Associationand the Hong Kong Design Centre (2019) came on board together
with an impressive array of supporting companies and sponsors. The
trajectory of support is phenomenal.
The range of design projects nominated and awarded is also
phenomenal. Take the architecture category of 2020, when the top
five shortlisted projects included projects of international repute such

2019 Architecture Gold
Cloud of Luster Chapel. Design by KTX ARCHILAB

2020 Shortlisted Interior Design
SUGALABO V, Le Café V by NOMURA Co., Ltd. A.N.D.

as Cloud of Luster Chapel in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, designed

2019 Architecture Shortlisted
Tower of Bricks. Design by Interval Architectsby KTX archiLAB; Y Residence in Samokov, Bulgaria, designed by
A.N.D (Aoyama Nomura Design); and Second Home in a Mountain,
designed by Gen Inoue as a second home for himself and his family
on land at the foot of the Tanzawa Mountains. Jump forward to 2022
and this category includes cutting-edge projects such as K Farm by
Avoid Obvious Architects, an aquaponics & hydroponics urban farm;2019 Architecture Shortlisted
Second Home in a Mountain. Design by Gen Inoue2020 Bronze Interior Design
SHIBUYA SKY. Design by RHIZOMATIKSThe Axis of Peace by Hakuten Corporation, a monument for Peace

2021 Interior Design Shortlisted
The Ritz-Carlton Nikko Spa & Onsen
Design by Nikken Space Design Ltd

Central Park in Yokosuka, which won the gold award; and A House
with a Hidden Openness by IDAHOMES. All are inspirational.
The range of shortlisted and awarded interior design projects isequally stellar with categories ranging from commercial to residential.
The gold winner of the product category was bitter-sweet giventhat it was awarded to Kumono Design Inc. & Sumika Acryl Co. for2019 Interior Design Gold - WUHAN WUSHANG MALLCINEMA 9F. Design by ONE PLUS PARTNERSHIP LIMITED2019 Gold - Alfred Ehrhardt (1901-1984)
Design byEndo Architect and Associates2019 Shortlisted Project - Galaxy Harajuku Design
Design by Kubota Architects & Associates Inc.

developing an unique covid screen system.
Peggy Lui is clear in her vision and passion for developing the awards.
Her mantra is ‘The power of now’. In posing the question to her forthis special edition of One Story, ‘The future: what does it hold for
Sky Design Awards?’, her answer was simple. ‘Limitless’.

2021 Industrial Design Gold - non electric aroma diffuser[LEI] by SOL style2019 Shortlisted Project - Stones
Design by IIJIMA DESIGN

2019 Gold Winning Project - Classic Craft, Modern
Meaning: Tram #61 Exhibition by CeeKayEllo Limited.

SKY DESIGN AWARDS | EXECUTIVE ADVISORS & INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (IAC)
To us, the sky is everything. We look up into the heavens above the surface of the Earth and see a limitless sky. Astronomers have been known to call all that we see the celestial sphere.
Viewed from Earth’s surface, the sky appears as if an abstract dome on which the Sun, stars, planets and Moon are travelling. The Chinese and Japanese languages give the character ‘sky’
the significance of being drawn as man, his arms outstretched, and above him a line representing the greatness of the sky. In our daily lives, design and architecture embody the greatnessof the abstract dome (form) and discipline of the straight line (function). In designing the Sky Design Awards trophy, we created the character for ‘Sky’ in three-dimensional form. One of
the main focus points of the Sky Design Awards is the creation of an Experience Centre where we can provide opportunities for designers to meet overseas clients and be introduced toprojects around the globe.
Sky Design Awards is now considered to be one of the most renowned specialized design industry awards in the Asia Pacific, enabling the design industry - product, interior, architecturaland spatial - to exchange and share information and ideas. This year’s Sky Design Awards will again take place in Tokyo, Japan. Our Awards Exhibition and Experience Centre will for the firsttime be extended to showcase the work of international design practices from across the globe.

PEGGY LUISCOTT BROOKSTOMOHISA NAGAIDAISHI YOSHIMOTOCHARLES CHAU

MANUEL RABATÉWILLIAM TOMANFRED YUENFounder of
Sky Design Awards

Founder of
Imagennix s

Executive producer of Ted
Associates.

President of Yoshimoto
Associates Inc

Directorof Louvre Abu Dhabi

Executive Directorof PMQ

Founder & Editor in Chief ofMerci Media Corporation

Sky Design Awards
Executive Advisor
Committee (EAC)

Sky Design Awards Board
Advisor (Non-Executive
Co-Chairman)

Sky Design Awards Board
Advisor (Non-Executive
Co-Chairman)

Founder of Groundwork
Architecture + Urbanism(London)Sky Design Awards
The International
Advisory Committee(IAC)

Sky Design Awards
The International Advisory
Committee (IAC)

2017-2020 Co. Chair ofCommunication and eventof Retail Design Institute HK
Centre2021 KUKAN Design Awards
Judges (Japan)

Chair, Strategy andDevelopment Advisory
Council of the AIA Hong
Kong Chapter

Vice President of JCD(Japan Commerce andEnvironment Design
Association)
Member of JDCA (Japan
Design Consultants
Association)

Sky Design Awards - The
International Advisory
Committee (IAC)
Japan Representative,
AIA International Region(American Institute ofArchitects Japan Chapter)

Co-Founder of
Groundwork Architects +Associates (Hong Kong &Shenzhen)
Sky Design Awards
The International
Advisory Committee(IAC)Core Member of IDM(Japan Interior Design
Conference)
Member of KUKAN (Space
Design Organization)
Member of Japan
Space Design

BY MERCI MAGAZINEVISION, VALUES & UNIQUE TALENT - SKY DESIGN AWARDSP03

ISSUE 06

O N E STORY, ONE I NT E RVI E W

FOR ME, THE MOMENT IS NOW.
Congratulations on the Fifth Anniversary for Sky DesignAwards! This year is a landmark year for the Awards. As Sky
Design Awards Founder, I would like to ask you to retrace
the steps in your journey over the past five years. What was
the original impetus for the awards?
Thank you so much. I cannot believe it has already been
five years since the first Sky Design Awards. The original
impetus for the awards was my wish to connect people.
My vision was to create opportunities for designers towork with different brands around the world. Several
companies had approached me around that time
asking me to help them to find the right designer for
their project. From my experience of working in designin Hong Kong and Japan, I knew the ‘missing piecesof the jigsaw’ that were preventing those companies
from finding the right designer. Fitting together thosemissing pieces would, I realised, bring opportunities forboth the designers and companies that were out there.
How did you go about linking companies and designers?
When companies came to me to find the right candidate,my first step was to review their project brief against
potential designers’ portfolios and profiles. I did notwant to set up an agency; I simply wanted to find theright matches and make the right connections. At thattime, many designers lacked a visible profile. I could see
that, once I had gathered more information on them, I
could help to match them to potential clients.
In conversation with designers, you found that many were
unfamiliar with other designers locally and globally. How
did this awareness feed into the establishment of the design
awards?
It was a surprise to me to find that many designers were
not familiar with one another locally or globally. I could
see that opportunities would arise for them if they could
meet up at business casual or business matching events.
That is how the idea came about. If I could create anaward, I realised that I could develop the connections
that were missing between designers and companies
and designers and designers. I began to formulate theview that increasing awareness was critical not only
within the profession but the wider general public.
Before you had the idea to create Sky Design Awards, youwere active over several years in assisting the RIBA Hong
Kong Chapter. One involvement was with women architects.
Will you say more about how you helped the HK Chapter tobring the work of women architects to the fore?

working together – myself as a member of the media
working with professional architects - to co-curate
programmes. I appreciated the Chapter counting mein.
You describe the awards as being like ‘the limitless sky’,in creating opportunities for designers. Was this ambition
embedded in the awards from the outset?
I believe so. In creating the Sky Design Awards, I had
foreseen the opportunities that better connections
and cross-disciplinary channels could bring about.
You chose to base Sky Design Awards in Tokyo, youradopted home. Did your move to Tokyo happen before thedecision to locate in Tokyo or as a result of that decision?
It was always a pleasure to travel to Japan for businessmeetings. I decided to base the awards in Japan given
its global appeal and that it was where much of theinterest in having conversations between companies
and designers was happening. Initially, I did not intend
to live in Japan, but practicalities led to my staying on
in Tokyo. Having lived in Japan now for some years, I
realised how much I love this country, its culture andpeople. I have experienced many wonderful times here
and am still learning a lot through daily living. I believethat destiny brought me to this beautiful country.
You have assembled an illustrious set of judges over theyears. How do you go about inviting judges to become
involved in the awards?
The judges from 2019 onwards were professionals who I
knew as friends or as interviewees for Merci Magazine, which I
founded ten years ago. I am also happy to knock on doors tomeet people. I find that when I approach them with my visionand insight for the awards, they are happy to agree to form partof our judging panel.
Your aim for the designers is to ‘expand their potential andbroaden their horizons’. How has Sky Design Awards been acatalyst in this?
From the outset, I have worked hard to ensure that designers
maximise the opportunities that connecting with companies
and other designers at our awards events and exhibitions bringabout. I enjoy keeping in touch with designers and finding
new possibilities for them. The more international the crosssection of entrants, the broader the horizons for all. From an
initial 75% of entrants coming from practices and designers
in Japan, our entrants are becoming more international, year
on year.

In 2017, the RIBA HK Chapter selected nine women
to share their perspectives on practising architecturein Hong Kong. Despite not being an architect, I was
selected as one of them. I was able to share my belief in

What was the inspiration for naming the awards trophy a‘sky design bridge’?
I designed the awards trophy to represent a bridge with thesun on top. The trophy symbolises my aim in all I strive to do toenable cross-disciplinary work for designers and companies.
I think ‘Sky Design Bridge’ is a more memorable name thansimply calling the symbol of the award a ‘Trophy’.
In naming your new B2B platform Noetic, you are saying
clearly that Sky Design Awards values ‘inner knowing- an intuitive consciousness grounded in reason’. It is
an inspirational name for the sourcebook of designers
who have been award winners. How do you see Noetic
integrating into Sky Design Awards?
Our vision is to create an integrated platform to expand thepossibilities for Sky Design Awards short-listed and awarded
designers by enabling companies to more easily matchwith them. We are working hard to create a B2B platformthat is innovative and intuitive in matching designers/designbusinesses to clients/company businesses.
What does the future hold for you? How does yourphilosophy of ‘limitless sky’ integrate into the future of Sky
Design Awards?
I do visualise the future, but am more focused on the powerof now. I believe that we create our history not in the future,but in the now. For me, the idea of the limitless sky is a canvas
on which to draw yourself or other imagined realities. Whensituations become something of a puzzle, I believe thatvisualising the problem as if on a canvas helps to make senseof them. Visualising a limitless sky gives me inspiration andencouragement. I am honoured and humbled to be marking
five years of Sky Design Awards and look forward to all that thisyear and future years will bring.

2023 JUDGING PANEL“ALL LISTED IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER”

TADAO KAMEIThe Chairman of theBoard of Directors
Nikken Sekkei.

J LEE ROFKINDDANIELA HOLT
VOITH

HOK’s regional
leader of Hospitality
Design in the Asia
Pacific Region

Founding partner ofVoith & MactavishArchitects LLP

FAIA/ LEED AP

President, ICAA
Philadelphia Chapter &the Board of the Design
Leadership Foundation.

LUCA ALBERO
Creative Visual
Merchandising
Director at
Christian Dior
CoutureANNE-MARIEBUEMANNManaging Partner at
OEO Studio

THOMAS LYKKE

ED NG

KOICHI TANAKA

Head of Design &Founding Partner at
OEO StudioPrincipal and
Co-Founder ofab concept.

Founder and CEO,and Director of
LIGHTLINKS

FAIA, LEED AP BD+C,
IIDA/ FAIA/ LEED AP

BY MERCI MAGAZINEVISION, VALUES & UNIQUE TALENT - SKY DESIGN AWARDSISSUE 06

2022 SKY DESIGN AWARDS WINNING PROJECTSARCHITECTURE WINNING PROJECTSGoldTHE AXIS OF PEACE
Designby Hakuten Corporation

SilverGOOD CYCLE BUILDING 001 Asanuma Corporation
Nagoya Branch Office Renovation
Design by Nori Architects and Asanuma Corporation

INTERIOR DESIGN WINNING PROJECTS
Commercial and office

BronzeMusic Hall in the Sky
Design by Takuro Yamamoto Architects

Gold
Goodman BUSINESS PARK
Design by Kamitopen

SilverBusiness Brain Showa-Ota Inc. Office relocation
project. Design by Nomura Co., Ltd.

INTERIOR DESIGNWINNING PROJECTS
Exhibition & Pop Up

Silver
SALON DE MEDULLA
Desgnby Old Kan

SilverZeng Fengfei Apparel Cultural Center
Design by Fancy Design

Gold
DEJI ART MUSEUM by
Design by THE TRIANGLE .JP.CO., LTD Design

BronzeMITSUI DESIGNTEC NEW OFFICE PROJECT
Design by MITSUI Designtec Co.,Ltd.

INTERIOR DESIGNWINNING PROJECTS
Retail & Spatial

SilverGUNDAM GLOBAL CHALLENGEGUNDAM STATUE

BronzeKIUCHI 100 YEARS HISTORY GALLERY by
NOMURA Co.,Ltd. Design

Gold
Yulin · Ueno Bookstore
Design by BDSD Boundless Design

SilverSTUDIOUS Marunouchi
Design by ODS / Oniki Design Studio

Silver% Arabica Traveling Chameleon Kiosk
Design by no.10, NOMURA Co., Ltd.

BronzeTokyo Saiken Teahouse
Design by Tamaki Design Studio

INTERIOR DESIGNWINNING PROJECTS
Restaurants

SilverBALMUDA The Store Aoyama by
NIKKEN SPACE DESIGN LTD.

Gold
Motosue Tamago Tokyo Main House
Design by Supermaniac Inc.

INTERIOR DESIGNWINNING PROJECTS
Residential

Gold
C&D Nanning Shuangxi - J3 Sample Stacked Villa
Design by HUOMO DESIGN

SilverHouse in TATEYAMA
design by RON DESIGN from Japan

Silver
The Relaxation in Art
Design by HELIANGYI Design

BronzeKowloon Penthouse, Hong Kong
Design by Hintegro Limited

Gold
DESIGNER’S ACRYL PARTITION “Collaboration with
fRAum®︎” KUMONO DESIGN INC. × SUMIKA ACRYL
CO., LTD. fRAum®︎ KAZUKI KUMONO × YOKO

SilverMATE
Design by Modernform Group Public Company Limited

BronzeOverlap
Design by Soell

PRODUCT DESIGNWINNING PROJECTSABOUT NOETICThe Internet fundamentally changed the buying process. Today, consumers and B2B buyers routinely conduct their research online before even making contact with a vendor.
However, many find overwhelming the unlimited access to information. In the main, existing resources comprise long lists of service providers and suppliers. While these lists areuseful, they do not of themselves reduce the work required to make a selection. For example, lists of the top 300 architecture firms –or top 100, or even top 50– still need to
be investigated. What are the firm’s strengths and weaknesses? Are their methodologies suited to our needs? What is their overall style? Will the firm adapt to our requirements?
Are they interested in taking on our assignment? This process is time consuming and prone to subjective judgments.
Large firms with dedicated staffing are equipped to handle the workload, but even they rely on outside consultants or fall back on vendors they know and have placed on
favoured supplier lists, making discovery of new talent difficult at best. Similarly, for service providers, industry lists of developers give no indication of need or readiness to
procure services. Compounding the challenge, client design briefs are inconsistent and often incomplete, which can lead to inaccuracies in estimating workload and inefficientdelivery down the line. Through our Sky Design Awards programmes, and with the support of numerous design industry associations, we have cultivated a close network ofaward-winning and best-in-class service providers, materials suppliers and skilled artisans. We have the ability to engage this network for our design clients in order to create
an exchange that streamlines the commissioning process.
Our goal is to support our clients by sharing our knowledge, helping them to enter new markets and grow their businesses. We offer advice on business development, market
entry, client communications, and other relevant practices to help our clients to avoid common pitfalls and develop their businesses more effectively. Buyers are alreadyrecognising the benefits of our network and commissioning us to find architects, designers, and unusual material suppliers for their creative projects globally.

SKY DESIGN AWARDS
Like the limitless sky, the Sky Design Awards aims to create opportunities for designers to expand their potential andbroaden their horizons. The Sky Design Awards was established by Merci Magazine, a company active in the designindustry.
The Sky Design Awards celebrates achievement in design excellence for projects that deliver meaningful social impact
in the areas of architecture, interior design, visual art & graphic design, and industrial design.
The Sky Design Awards endeavours to create opportunities for collaboration between designers and companies in
the Asia Pacific region and internationally. We strive to empower design professionals to hone their skills and creative
development through our awards recognition, design dialogue and experience hub. We hope to encourage and nurture
creative exchange and collaborative relationships with design peers and companies around the world.
IN 2021, the Sky Design Awards announced the addition of a new award, The New Black. The New Black Award is foryoung architects and designers (under 38) or small projects that push the boundaries of innovation to accomplish
project goals in each of the four categories.
https://www.skydesignawards.com
VISION, VALUES & UNIQUE TALENT - SKY DESIGN AWARDS#ISSUE 06
ISSN 2817-1276 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-777800-9-9Managing Director: Peggy Lui
Editor and copywriter: Lianne Hackett
Art Direction: Peggy Lui
Design by: Merci Design Team
Printed in Japan/ Canada
One Story by Merci Media Corproation is a Trademark publication.
Trademark file number 2222129.
It all begins with one story - One Brand, One Solution, One Story.