What makes someone an INDE.Awards Luminary? Every year, the Indesign Media Asia Pacific editorial team revisits that question. And although the conditions of practice evolve constantly, the qualities of a Luminary are enduring: bold, fearless, insightful and always committed to forging new directions in architecture or design.

A Luminary is a shining example of the region’s experimental and rebellious approach. It’s someone who’s career-long portfolio is distinctive for its innovation, big-picture thinking and originality. It is therefore with great honour that we reveal the Luminaries of 2020.

Their stories are rich with insights into the drivers of designed excellence around the Info-Pacific region. Look out for dedicated articles to follow on each of our Luminaries of 2020. For now, here’s a short introduction:

Andra Matin

Studio: Andramatin

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Role: Principal

A quick word from Andra Matin: “Now that small firms – including mine – have been entrusted with designing public buildings, we are now heading to an era where the landscape of Indonesian public architecture has local characteristics combined with modern design principles.”

Visit his website at andramatin.com and look out for our Q&A with Andra Matin.

Photo by Putu Adi Widiantara.

Juan Du

Studio: IDU and The University of Hong Kong

Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

Role: Principal at IDU, Associate Professor at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), and Director of HKU’s Urban Ecologies Design Lab

A quick word from Juan Du: “My focus on China’s urbanisation process forms the theoretical foundations that challenge conventional modes of urban development in order to generate a more socially and environmentally responsible practice through progressive design.”

Visit her website at iduarchitecture.com and visit HKU’s Urban Ecologies Design Lab here, and look out for our Q&A with Juan Du.

Photo: IDU.

Kirsten Stanisich and Jonathan Richards

Studio: Richards Stanisich

Location: Sydney, Australia

Roles: Directors

A quick word from Richards Stanisich: “Recently we have been investigating the ways in which design can wake us up to alternative viewpoints on colonisation and allow the expression of first peoples and how this can be implemented into a commercial context.”

Visit their website at richardsstanisich.com.au and look out for our Q&A with Kirsten and Jonathan.

Photo by Katie Kaars.

Ross Gardam

Studio: Ross Gardam

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Role: Director

A quick word from Ross Gardam: “Design in itself, and particularly Australian design, has become increasingly valued. I have been intrigued by the manufacturing processes available around me and therefore the business has developed with a made in Melbourne approach.”

Visit his website at rossgardam.com.au and look out for our Q&A with Ross.

Photo by Haydn Cattach.

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Our thanks go to category partner Verosol for sharing our dedication to The Luminary.

Says Jules Di Bartolomeo, Managing Director, Verosol Australia Asia Pacific: “For the past 4 years, the INDE.Awards have been the industry’s leading celebration of architectural excellence and innovation across the Asia Pacific. More than just an awards ceremony, the initiative is a celebration of our great industry, where we all recognise the people, practices, projects and products that make our region one of the greatest in the world.

“Verosol jumped at the chance to be involved in the INDE.Awards as we also look to celebrate and recognise excellence in everything we do. This begins with ourselves, as we strive to lead the market in interior solar shading fabrics and blinds, and carries through to the service we provide to the teams we work with. As a partner of the INDE.Awards, specifically in the Luminary category, we are able to take this to the next level, with formal recognition of those who are icons of architecture and design.”

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And now it’s over to the Jury.

This year, for the first time, we are turning to our INDE.Awards Jury for a decision on who will be ‘The Luminary of the Year’. You may recall that this award category has previously been decided by people’s choice voting. Not to worry, we still want you to have your say, but in 2020 you’ll have the opportunity to do so in our two special ‘Best of the Decade’ categories for The Living Space and The Work Space instead. More details to follow.

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Congratulations to all our Luminaries of 2020. Stay tuned to find out who will be crowned ‘Luminary of the Year’ by our Jury. INDE.Awards 2020 winners will be announced on 14 August!