The countdown is on! With just one month to go until this year’s winners are revealed, the final details of the 2026 AZ Awards Gala are falling into place. On Thursday, May 28, the 16th edition of the AZ Awards Gala will bring together the international architecture and design community at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market North, for an evening of cocktails, ceremony and celebration.

The venue, one of Toronto’s newest civic spaces, acts as both backdrop and inspiration for a series of design activations. At the heart of the space, a striking installation by RAW Work — a local studio that creates site-specific experiences rooted in research, collaboration and material exploration — will reimagine one of the Market’s most familiar elements, the fruit basket, as a modular building component. The baskets are assembled into a layered surface, activated through light and projection. Made from recycled, compostable materials, the installation realizes the latent potential of a disposable object, transforming it into an architectural focal point that nods to both the rhythm of the harvest and an ethos of circular design.

It wouldn’t be a trip to the farmer’s market without fresh produce. Taking cues from the Market’s seasonal abundance, Forna Cultura will present a lush, edible installation that brings to life The Garden of Earthly Delights, a medieval triptych by Hieronymus Bosch. Built around seasonal fare, the display promises to elevate humble ingredients to culinary spectacle.

Of course, the awards ceremony is the main event, anchored by its own design object: this year’s trophy, designed by Jake Oliveira Studio. Founded in 2021, the Toronto-based industrial design practice has quickly built a reputation for work that blends deeply personal concepts with analogue techniques. Collaborating with brands such as Boyd Lighting, A. Rudin and Powell & Bonnell, the studio’s portfolio spans furniture, lighting and objects that balance sculptural presence with everyday function. Oliveira’s iteration of the AZ Awards trophy is no exception, taking a pared-back approach that interprets the letters A and Z as a monolithic form with a strong material character.

The trophy design will be revealed in the coming weeks. As for the other details, you’ll have to join us at the gala to find out what else we have in store — we look forward to seeing you there!

The AZ Awards 2026 is presented by Fisher & Paykel. Keilhauer is the EMERGING Category sponsor. Colombo Design America, Jeld-Wen, Scavolini, Vicostone and Landscape Forms are the Gala Sponsors.

Media Partners: ArchDaily, Archilovers, Archinect, Archiproducts, Designboom, The Architect’s Newspaper, Architonic, Bustler, Design Week Mexico, v2com newswire*, and World-Architects.

*v2com will provide one gift-certificate to all 31 winners of 2026 to distribute one Multi press kit (25 images) on v2com newswire; and a 50% Gift-Certificate to all 2026 AZ Award finalists.