The Monocle Minute

The 2023 edition of the annual Monocle Design Awards, published in the May issue of the magazine, is here. It’s our recognition of the industry’s finest work, from leading architecture and smart urban planning to the best in furniture production and transport design – see Cake’s new, zippy electric motorcycle (pictured) for a taste of what we mean. Here, we celebrate the winners and highlight a few of our favourite projects.

1. Best brand collaboration
Odakyu Railway saké by Agnavi, Japan
Food and drink start-up Agnavi has created the perfect partnership between packaging and its contents. Its Ichi-Go-Can brand sells limited-edition saké produced by makers around the Odakyu Railway lines, with cans designed to look like trains. We’re onboard.

2. Leading wayfinding
Collingwood Yards nameplates and signage by The Company You Keep, Australia

3. Best in type
Road Research Society, Hong Kong

4. Leading editorial design
Studio Joost Grootens, The Netherlands

5. Most unifying project
Abrahamic Family House by Adjaye Associates, UAE
Few architectural projects could claim a goal as lofty as uniting the three major Abrahamic religions – but that is what Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye has achieved with the design of the newly opened Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi. The interfaith complex comprises a mosque, a synagogue and a church, set around a central welcome forum and verdant elevated garden. The effect when the three buildings are taken in at the same time is one of unity and visual harmony. It’s a higher power that we can all look up to.

6. Top temporary activation
Mané Market by Bloco Arquitetos, Brazil

7. Best business campus
Norrsken Kigali House by Mass, Rwanda

8. Best in timber
Küng Holzbau by Seiler Linhart Architects, Switzerland

9. Best for longevity
55 Rigaud housing complex by Bonhôte Zapata, Switzerland

10. Best ecological effort
Grand Junction Park and Plaza by David Rubin Land Collective, USA

11. Best in brick
Localworks, Uganda

12. Best at going green
Urban Farming Office by VTN Architects, Vietnam

13. Best play space
Tophane Park by Carve, Turkey

14. Best urban park
Khalifa Pocket Parks by SLA, UAE

15. Most verdant vistas
Leach Botanical Gardens by Land Morphology, USA

16. Best restaurant design
Brutus by Sandra Tarruella Interioristas, Spain
Sandra Tarruella has taken the bare bones of this brutalist structure and transformed them into features. The gridded ceiling becomes a clever magnifier of downlights, while warmth emanates from the smaller details. But what truly gives this restaurant a sense of warmth and movement is the open kitchen against the back wall, where the food spectacle comes alive atop a stone benchtop that appears almost like a stage.

17. Best showroom
V-Zug showroom in Paris, France

18. Best small gallery
Denis Goldberg House by Noero Architects, South Africa

19. Best renovation
Vasto Gallery by Mesura, Spain

20. Top restoration effort
Ipiranga Museum by H+F Arquitetos, Brazil

21. Best in the kitchen
Tinyküche, Switzerland

22. Best boutique
Asaru Studio, Singapore

23. Top retail fit-out
Toteme by Halleroed, USA

24. Best urban getaway
Delica Mini by Mitsubishi, Japan
Mitsubishi has partnered with camping outfitter Coleman on the Delica Mini, a miniaturised version of the Japanese car-maker’s famous off-road van. The new release features a roof rack, all-terrain tyres, bed kits and storage compartments. The perfect ride for escaping the urban jungle.

25. Best boat
Toy 36 Fly by Toymarine, Italy

26. Tidiest two-wheeler
Kalk & by Cake, Sweden

27. Best training programme
Goldfinger, UK
British furniture firm Goldfinger is going against the grain and carving a new niche by making high-end timber pieces and nurturing talent in its local community. The London-based firm has risen to prominence by building bespoke tables and chairs for world-renowned architects and high-end department stores such as Selfridges. But it’s the work that it does beyond the shop floor that we are celebrating here. It partners with schools and supports marginalised youths through various workshops and traineeships. Since 2013 it has helped 20 of its “graduates” successfully start their own creative businesses. Here’s hoping for more.

28. Best community connector
Mobile Makers, USA

29. Preferred production company
Shelter, Australia

30. Best re-edition
Phantom Hands, India

31. Best creative studio
Studio Atebo, Switzerland

32. Emerging designer
Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Nigeria

33. Architects of the year
Snøhetta, Norway

34. Designer of the year
Sabine Marcelis, the Netherlands

35. Finest table
​​Largo by Barber Osgerby for Marsotto Edizioni, UK
Working with Italy’s Marsotto, London-based studio Barber Osgerby has designed a new series of marble tables named Largo. Shaped by skilful craftsmen at the Marsotto factory near Verona, the design explores geometric elements, with its triangular bases interlocked with rounded tops. Its sturdy, elegant form is perfect for a laid-back lunch under a tree or for dancing around at night.

36. Best for the terrace
Crate by Rietveld Originals X Hay, the Netherlands

37. Outstanding outdoor effort
Chop by Philippe Malouin for Hem, Sweden

38. Best side piece
CH004, Nesting Tables by Carl Hansen & Søn, Denmark

39. Most iconic reimagining
Rubbish bin by Vipp, Denmark

40. Best in bedding
Bold by Magniberg, Sweden

41. Best production
Poltrona Frau’s Impact Less Leather, Italy

42. Finest for furry friends
Berberé pet bed by Opinion Ciatti, Italy

43. Best in textiles
​​Burel Factory, Portugal

44. Best in the bathroom
Roca Nu tap, Spain

45. Brightest light
Fragile lamp by Marset, Spain

46. Best design revival
Pira G2 shelving unit by String, Sweden

47. Sharpest shooter
Leica M6, Germany
Ditch your DSLR or smartphone because shooting on film is well and truly back, following German manufacturer Leica’s relaunch of its iconic M6 analogue film camera. Designed in the 1980s, it still feels contemporary, thanks to its compact size and quiet shutter, which made it a favourite of photographers such as Bruce Davidson, William Klein and Nan Goldin.

48. Most practical tool
Replica 1897 Swiss Army Knife by Victorinox, Switzerland

49. Best way to wake up
AC02 alarm clock by Punkt, Switzerland

50. Best table setting
La Mère tableware collection by Serax, Belgium

For more on the Monocle Design Awards, pick up a copy of our May issue, available now on newsstands and at monocle.com.