The skies cleared just in time for hundreds of design and architecture heavyweights – from as far away as Poland, China and Italy – to pack the historic Evergreen Brick Works to find out who would take home top honours in the 2017 AZ Awards.
Seventy projects, in 20 different categories, vied for the Philippe Malouin-designed trophies, which were handed out in a ceremony led by Canadian television veteran Denise Donlon. The guest of honour, renowned Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, kicked things off with a special address.
During pre- and post-ceremony revelry, guests enjoyed wine from Stratus and Instagram-worthy desserts from NuGateau, while exploring a series of installations from the AZ Awards’ presenting partners. Rado presented watches from its True Thinline collection and Keilhauer brought along pieces from its Hangout series for guests to relax in. Next to slabs of its silestone surfacing, Cosentino had models donning body paint that realistically mimicked the colour and veining of the quartz material.
Attendees also admired the sleek new R8 Spyder V10 and RS 7 Sportback from Audi, and played with DXV‘s hydralophone and 3D-printed faucets. At the end of the evening, guests took home goodies inside Tyvek paper tote bags manufactured by essent’ial.
The industrial vibe of Evergreen Brick Works was complemented by chandeliers made from recycled plastic bottles, designed by Toronto architect Eric Anthony Charron, and the gala’s rebranded visual identity (plus gala decor and video content) created by Frontier, a local multidisciplinary design studio.
You can find a full list of this year’s award winners here, along with profiles of the winning projects. Pick up Azure’s July / August issue – available on June 29, on Canadian newsstands and online – to see the projects in print.
The 2017 AZ AWARDS is presented by Audi, Cosentino, DXV, Keilhauer, and Rado, and is sponsored by TD Bank Group, Urban Capital and George Brown School of Design.
The AZ Awards Gala is sponsored by Alpi, Bauhaus and Euro-Line and Farrow & Ball.