INDE.Awards Gala 2026 | IndesignLive

August 3rd, 2026

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In its milestone tenth year, the INDE.Awards was celebrated in style at 1 Hotel Melbourne on Thursday 30th July. Distinctive for its Asia-Pacific region-wide scope, the awards were especially notable in 2026 for the sheer geographical breadth of winners and honourable mentions — with around a third of named awards going to projects or people outside of Australia.

Categories ranged from residential to all kinds of commercial designs, such as learning and workplace spaces, as well as the two photography categories aimed at recognising the crucial contrubutions of image-makers to the design industry.

Indian design somewhat stole the show at the 2026 INDE.Awards Gala. Sanjay Puri Architects, based in Mumbai, took away the headline Best of the Best award as well as winning The Influencer for Prestige University. Meanwhile, Multitude of Sins, a Bangalore practice led by Smita Thomas, took away The Prodigy award, while Sabari Jewels by Parinamah won The Retail Space.

Perhaps the most touching moment of the evening came as Smita Thomas collected her award. Having travelled all the way to Australia for the first time, she spoke with heart and conviction about the political situation in India and how she draws strength from the country’s youth to maintain high standards in her own work.

There were strong showings too for Singaporean and New Zealand designers. For the former, Ong Chan Hao was recognised for his commercial photography, while Angelene Chan was one of four Luminaries named this year. As for Aotearoa, Jordan Knight won The Graduate alongside honourable mentions across various categories for other New Zealand-based work.

The other Luminaries were Kerstin Thompson (Australia), David Teh (Malaysia), and Sonali Rastgi and Manit Rastogi (India).

As for Australian projects, Sydney Fish Market by 3XN in association with BVN and ASPECTS Studios won The Building award, Bates Smart and Architectus took The Health and Wellbeing Space with Peninsula University Hospital, and Kim Kneipp Studio with Troppo Architects won The Interior Space.

If the ten-year milestone called for something memorable, it came in the form of the 2026 INDE.Awards trophies — more accurately, in their striking glass forms! Designed and made by Ruth Allen (r.a.g.e), the stalagmite-like pieces — each unique — looked part lethal ice weapon, part sculptural treasure and all class. They truly provided a focal point whose design captured the ethos of the program as a whole, with numerous winners and speakers referencing their qualities from the stage.

As always, INDE.Awards Program Director Jan Henderson ran proceedings with effortless grace following Indesign Media founder and CEO Raj Nandan’s short speech to mark the tenth anniversary. As they say, it takes a whole team and — just as speakers thanked their collaborators throughout — the wider Indesign Media team was applauded for making the event happen and for showcasing our distinctive regional design on a global stage.

With attendees and award-winners from countries across the Asia and from various Australian states, the 2026 INDE.Awards Gala was truly a regional spectacle. We will undoubtedly now see many of these standout projects recognised in global design awards directed from Europe or North America, proud in the knowledge that our region continues to punch above its design weight — in no small thanks to its champions such as the INDE.Awards.

The INDE.Awards extends a big thank you too all partners in 2026! The full list of winners and commendations is below and you can read more here.

The Best of the Best | Proudly partnered by Zenith

Winner
Prestige University
Sanjay Puri Architects
India

The Multi-Residential Building | Proudly partnered by Cult

Winner
St Clare
Woods Bagot
Australia

Honourable Mention
Caulfield Place
SJB
Australia

The Work Space | Proudly partnered by Herman Miller

Winner
The Reserve
MonoLab Studio in collaboration with Freight Architects
Singapore

Honourable Mention
Optus O Pavilion
Architectus
Australia

The Health & Wellbeing Space | Proudly partnered by Hästens

Winner
Peninsula University Hospital
Bates Smart and Architectus
Australia

Honourable Mention
High Line Bangkok
Jenchieh Hung + Kulthida Songkittipakdee / HAS design and research
Thailand

The Learning Space | Proudly partnered by Autex Acoustics

Joint Winner
Baaka Cultural and Art Centre
Kaunitz Yeung Architecture
Australia

Joint Winner
The Potter Museum of Art, The University of Melbourne
Wood Marsh
Australia

Honourable Mention
Chandigarh University D-6
Charged Voids
India

The Living Space | Proudly partnered by Gaggenau

Winner
Ronnoco Farm
Polly Harbison Design
Australia

Honourable Mention
Double Courtyard House
Roberts Gray Architects
Aotearoa/New Zealand

The Retail Space | Proudly partnered by Polyflor

Winner
Sabari Jewels
Parinamah
India

Honourable Mention
ZARA Nanjing Xinjiekou Flagship Store
AIM Architecture
China

The Object | Proudly partnered by American Hardwood Export Council

Joint Winner
Ark Cabinet
Adam & Arthur
Australia

Joint Winner
Pavilion Dining Chair
Jon Goulder Designer & Maker
Australia

Honourable Mention
Serotina
Anne-Claire Petre
Australia

The Social Space | Proudly partnered by Maxton Fox

Winner
Soul Studio
Palinda Kannangara Architects
Sri Lanka

Honourable Mention
Panglao Shores Resort & Spa
Enter Projects Asia was responsible for the feature lobby and conference ceilings, pavilions, gateways, walkways and bridges
Philippines