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DesignNewswire · COMO, Italy ·

Akitoshi Imafuku and Lily Sugiyama Receives the Bronze A' Design Award for Be:side Cafe and Beauty in Interior Space and Exhibition Design

The international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Akitoshi Imafuku and Lily Sugiyama for interior space and exhibition design

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Be:side Cafe and Beauty by Akitoshi Imafuku and Lily Sugiyama, designed for Funabashiya, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category. The award was conferred within the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

The Bronze A' Design Award Explained

The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

More About Be:side Cafe and Beauty

For new challenge of Funabashiya which is with a long history since 1805 as arrowroot mochi store, the designers thought it is important to return to their own roots and cherish their long history, so, they adopted the iconic wisteria arbor of their flagship store to the design of the whole entrance. Not only this dynamic design of the entrance stands out in the quiet residence area in Aoyama and caught people, but it also functions as outside seating for their customers.

About Akitoshi Imafuku and Lily Sugiyama

Born in Osaka Prefecture, founded supermaniac inc. in 2000. He specializes in branding, marketing, creative direction, and spatial design for various environments. His work has won several awards including the top prize at the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, Gold at the Sky Design Awards and IDA Design Awards, and recognition from the iF Design Award and more. He has also received Japanese design awards.

Award Record

This recognition makes Akitoshi Imafuku and Lily Sugiyama a winner of 5 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2016 - 2017 and the 2020 - 2021 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.

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. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is 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. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously 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. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which 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, uploading a work and receiving a 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. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project
Be:side Cafe and Beauty
Function
Cafe and Beauty
Category
Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Discipline
Spatial Design
Industry
Architecture and Packaging & Retail
Colors
Black, Dark Slate Gray and Dark Olive Green
Images
5
Client
Funabashiya

The Recognition

Laureate
Akitoshi Imafuku and Lily Sugiyama
Country
Japan
Recognition
Bronze A' Design Award
Edition
2020 - 2021
Design ID
#120707

Credits

Team
Akitoshi Imafuku (supermaniac inc.), Lily Sugiyama (supermaniac inc.), Hiroshi Enami (L GROW) and Yashima Creation
Image Credits
Daisuke Shima (ad hoc Inc.)

Design Details

Unique Properties
Funabashiya is an arrowroot mochi store with a long history since 1805, and this shop is their new conceptual shop focusing on health and beauty. The wisteria arbor at Funabashiya's flagship store became iconic to their customer. For new challenge of our client Funabashiya which is with a long history since 1805 as arrowroot mochi store, the designers thought it is important to return to their own roots and cherish their long history. Therefore, they adopted the iconic wisteria arbor of Funabashiya's flagship store to the design of the whole entrance.
Inspiration
Inspiration came from the wisteria arbor at “Funabashiya” flagship store in Kameido. The wisteria arbor became iconic to their customer over the years of their history. For their new challenge, the designers thought it is important to return to their own roots and cherish their long history.
Realization and Technology
To emphasize the linear design, the dark grey tiles runs from the terrace to the end of the store, and it makes the store look deeper and the terrace roof inspired by the wisteria arbor more dynamic. The designers kept the interior minimum and simple to make their products stands out and carefully plan the lighting to make the space bright enough but not too plain and boring by creating contrast of light.
Project Duration and Location
The project started in January 2020 and finished in July 2020 in Shibuya, Japan
Keywords
Japanese design, wisteria arbor, wood, simple

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