A Japanese office designed to evoke a tree canopy and a revived US concert hall lead this year’s Shaw Contract Design Awards. Five interiors earned Best of Globe, the programme’s top prize.
The other winners include an athletics clubhouse in the US, a legal workplace in the UK and a three-storey office in India. The awards marked their 21st year as part of the annual award programme.
Who runs the awards, and how winners were chosen
Disclosure: the awards are organised by Shaw Contract, a flooring manufacturer. The programme honours interiors that, in the company’s words, “spark creativity, connect communities and contribute to a better, more sustainable world.”
Sources differ on the entry count. Dezeen reports nearly 550 global submissions, while Shaw Contract’s website cites more than 530 entries from 39 countries and regions. An international jury of architects and designers made the selections, and interior design students joined the judging.
According to the jury, the winners shared a clear design narrative, an understanding of local context and inclusive user experiences. They also used responsible materials and connected design intent to the finished space. The projects varied widely in scale and style.
Shaw Contract said the judges kept asking one question. Was each project’s intent visible in the finished design? The panel separated attractive spaces from projects that used planning, materials and detail to communicate a clear idea.
The five winners
The St Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Powell Hall in the US opened in 1925 as a grand movie palace. Christner Architects, now part of CannonDesign, overhauled the building. The jury praised its balance of old and new elements, along with better accessibility and audience facilities that strengthen the hall’s role in the city.
Sound matters as much as sightlines in a revived concert hall, and listening room acoustics across global hotspots offer a related look.
The Missouri Athletic Club in Clayton, US, was designed by HOK. The scheme honours the club’s 120-year legacy while converting an existing space into a clubhouse for work, dining, wellness and social events. HOK’s approach, the brand says, adds “a new layer to the club’s heritage rather than treating the past as a fixed visual theme.”
We Labo 25F, a small workspace in Chiyoda Ward, Japan, is the third winner. Okamura designed it around biophilic design, which uses natural features such as plants to support occupants’ wellbeing. Greenery here is more than “a decorative layer,” and the room mimics working beneath a tree canopy.
The office was also recognised for its adaptable interiors and circular design. Its furniture includes pieces made from tsunami debris. Okamura’s new working model, which it calls “Wedentity,” asks individuals to work independently as an “I” and collaborate as a “We.”
Diageo’s Gurugram workplace in India, designed by M Moser Associates, covers 7,700 square metres across three floors. It houses 300 employees per floor, supporting the company’s move from Bengaluru to Gurugram. The brief asked for a space that made people feel hosted and connected, reflecting Diageo’s motto, “Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.”
The jury described the interiors as “richly layered and carefully crafted.” The design mixes varied workspaces with shared hospitality areas. More than half of the building is given over to community spaces.
For teams weighing similar flexible planning, Keilhauer’s modular seating for unused offices offers a practical example worth a look.
DLA Piper’s new Leeds office at City Square House, designed by Sheppard Robson Architects, brings together more than 600 staff. The workplace spans 63,000 square feet of Grade A space across five floors. Its design suits different working styles.
Shaw Contract says the jury rewarded the broad range of workspaces, plus areas for wellbeing, dining and meetings. Judges also liked how the materials add “warmth and richness into areas that might traditionally be treated as purely corporate.”
Best of Globe winners come from the programme’s Best of Region category. Each receives global media exposure and a donation to a charity of its choice. Shaw Contract says the awards aim to spark discussion within the international creative community.
The five winners span four countries and five locations: St Louis and Clayton in the US, Chiyoda Ward in Japan, Gurugram in India and Leeds in the UK. Their common thread is interiors that make a clear idea visible to the people who use them.
Sources & Links
Frequently asked questions
Who organises the Shaw Contract Design Awards?
The awards are organised by Shaw Contract, which the article describes as a flooring manufacturer. The programme honours interiors that, in the company’s words, “spark creativity, connect communities and contribute to a better, more sustainable world.”
How were the Shaw Contract Design Awards winners chosen?
An international jury of architects and designers made the selections, and interior design students joined the judging. According to the jury, winners shared a clear design narrative, an understanding of local context, inclusive user experiences, responsible materials, and a clear link between design intent and the finished space.
How many entries did the Shaw Contract Design Awards receive?
Sources differ on the count. Dezeen reports nearly 550 global submissions, while Shaw Contract’s website cites more than 530 entries from 39 countries and regions.
What do Best of Globe winners receive from the Shaw Contract awards?
Best of Globe winners come from the Best of Region category and each receives global media exposure. Each also receives a donation to a charity of its choice.
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