If there was any doubt in the minds of event organisers as to the crowd turn-out for the INDE.Awards Gala (it being mid-winter, mid-pandemic after all), it was quickly put to rest.

Waves of people arrived to the Sofitel Melbourne on the evening of 4 August, glamorously clad and well shod, and ready to take part in the awards event of the season.

The amphitheatre provided an intimate and comfortable setting for the 300+ attendees to the exclusive celebration of INDE.Awards 2022 winners – the first to be held in person since 2019.

A consummate MC, Jon Faine, of ABC Radio fame, set the tone for the evening with his humorous time keeping and entertaining delivery. An Acknowledgement of Country was given by architect and INDE.Awards juror Jefa Greenaway, followed by a compelling didgeridoo performance by Jesse Gardiner.

Indesign Media co-founder, Kavita Lala, gave a welcome address noting, “The awards started simply to bring our region together and now has expanded so much, in such a short span, connecting all of us together throughout the Indo-Pacific. [It] is a privilege to be able to celebrate amazing architecture and design, in person and online tonight.”

Indesign editorial lead, Alice Blackwood, spoke on the regional diversity of entries. She noted that this has seeded a unique judging process that requires jurors to “look beyond basic principles of aesthetics and functionality to consider originality and quality of design; performance and end-user considerations; innovation; and ecological and economic impact – all relative to location and culture,” she said.

INDE.Awards program director, Jan Henderson, pointed out the achievement of all entrants, particularly those shortlisted. “The INDE.Awards shortlist is just that, short a mere 12 projects. So to be shortlisted is indeed an honour as the calibre of the entries was so very high,” she said.

And, of course, there were all the fabulous winners, a vision of excitement, sometimes disbelief and surprise, and with expressions of intense pleasure and pride as they accepted their INDE.Awards trophies, made especially by Dinosaur Designs. See who won, here.

The awards ceremony was followed by a cocktail reception, packed to the gills with people toasting, chatting and snapping photos. The picture of a community, both local and global, brought together and overwhelmingly happy to finally be back in the same room, again.

Congratulations to all our winners, our deep appreciation goes to our jurors of 2022, and to our sponsors and partners, who helped make it all happen.

Watch the INDE.Awards Gala here, view the winners here.

Watch the INDE.Awards Gala here, view the winners here.