Press Release
Portobella Symphony Restaurant by Aysel Mahmudlu Wins the Silver A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Aysel Mahmudlu acknowledged for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category for Portobella Symphony Restaurant by Aysel Mahmudlu, designed for Restaurant Project-Portobella. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
About Portobella Symphony Restaurant
This project features a rare combination of hand crafted stucco ceilings covering the entire space and an open kitchen concept that brings transparency and theatre to dining. Every ceiling ornament and column detail was sculpted by artisans, giving the restaurant a museum like quality. Together with crystal chandeliers, pastel walls, and bespoke furniture, the design merges classical grandeur with modern hospitality, creating a refined yet welcoming atmosphere.
About Aysel Mahmudlu
Azul Bureau, founded by Aysel Mahmudlu, is an interior design studio that blends classical craftsmanship with contemporary elegance. The practice focuses on bespoke details, artisanal techniques, and functional innovation, delivering refined spaces that reflect cultural depth and modern sensibility. Each project is approached as a story, balancing tradition with innovation to create timeless and inspiring interiors.
Award Record
With this recognition, Aysel Mahmudlu is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Entries typically include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. Awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/176781
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/176781
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!176781
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/374061
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://bit.ly/4mD2uSr
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
###
Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Portobella Symphony Restaurant
- Function
- Restaurant
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Gray, Rosy Brown and Dim Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Restaurant Project-Portobella
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Aysel Mahmudlu
- Country
- Azerbaijan
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #176781
Credits
- Team
- Aysel Mahmudlu, Lead Designer and Creative Director, Azul Bureau
- Image Credits
- Photographer: Akbarov Eldar Interior Design: Azul Bureau, Aysel Mahmudlu Project Direction: Aysel Mahmudlu
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The project combines hand-crafted stucco ceilings extending across the entire space with an open kitchen concept that introduces transparency and a sense of performance. Each ceiling ornament and column detail was sculpted by artisans, highlighting cultural heritage. Crystal chandeliers, pastel-toned walls, and custom-made furniture establish a dialogue between classical references and contemporary hospitality, resulting in a refined environment with a welcoming character.
- Inspiration
- The design draws inspiration from European palaces and the tradition of artisan craftsmanship. It revives hand-crafted stucco work within a contemporary restaurant setting, while incorporating an open kitchen to emphasize transparency and interaction between chef and guest. The project aims to create a cultural dining space where heritage and modern lifestyle converge.
- Research
- The project draws on research into European palatial interiors and the tradition of handcrafted stucco. Historical molding techniques were reinterpreted with modern materials to ensure durability while retaining artisanal character. The design integrates cultural heritage with contemporary hospitality, creating a multisensory environment where tradition meets modernlifestyle.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was to reinterpret traditional stucco and molding techniques within a contemporary restaurant setting, balancing artisanal craftsmanship with modern construction standards for durability, acoustics, and functionality. Another difficulty involved integrating an open kitchen into a refined dining hall while coordinating large-scale custom ceilings executed entirely by hand.
- Realization and Technology
- The project features hand-crafted stucco moldings for ceilings and columns, decorative plaster wall finishes, and ceramic tiles imitating wood for durability in a high-traffic space. Marble-effect porcelain defines key surfaces, while bespoke metalwork with brass accents shapes staircases and railings. Custom lighting fixtures highlight details and enhance atmosphere.
- Operation and Interaction
- The open kitchen reveals the cooking process, reinforcing transparency and trust. The layout supports smooth circulation, while coordinated colors, textures, and lighting guide guests intuitively through the space. The design balances hospitality and efficiency to enhance interaction.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project was conceived in 2021 and completed in 2022 in Baku, Azerbaijan, establishing a restaurant that blends European influences with the city’s dining culture.
- Specifications
- The restaurant covers 800 sq. meters with a ceiling height of 7.5 meters. Floors feature wood-imitation ceramic tiles, complemented by hand-crafted stucco moldings and a custom staircase with brass accents. An open kitchen fosters transparency, while acoustic adjustments ensure comfort in the double-height space.
- Keywords
- Luxury Restaurant Interior, Handcrafted Stucco Ceiling, Bespoke chandeliers, open kitchen dining, European elegance, cultural heritage design, contemporary luxury, architectural molding, fine dining experience, Baku design landmark,Azerbaijan restaurant
