The Grand Prix and Commercial Interior category winner the Royal Children’s Hospital by Billard Leece Partnership and Bates Smart. Image: Shannons

The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne has won the Grand Prix title in the 2012 Dulux Colour Awards for its innovative use of colour in architecture and design.

Designed by Billard Leece Partnership & Bates Smart, the interior of the hospital also took out the Commercial Interior category.

The judging panel say: “The Royal Children's Hospital's colour palette is dynamic, complex and richly researched. Colour has been effectively and comprehensively integrated into the building to enable way-finding throughout.

“With a base palette drawn from Royal Park to define various parts of the hospital, the colour schemes for different floor levels have also been taken from different regions around Victoria to give variation and richness to the experience of the children, staff and visitors of the building.”

Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park won the Commercial Exterior category winner by Room11 Architects. Image: Jasmin Latona

Room11 Architects won the Commercial Exterior Category for the access way in the Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park in Tasmania while a Melbourne house renovation titled ‘Shakin’ Stevens’ won the Single Residential Interior category for their use of colour which the judges commended particularly the green throughout connecting outdoors and indoors.

Open House is a children’s cubby designed by Nixon Tulloch Fortey Architecture which won the Single Residential Exterior category. The judging panel said it was impressed with ‘how the use of colour evoked a sense of playfulness’.

Open House by Nixon Tulloch Fortey Architecture. Image: Peter Clarke

Shakin’ Stevens won the Single Residential Interior by Matt Gibson Architecture and Design. Image: Shannon McGrath

Other winners included:

?Atherton Gardens RE by Kiang How Tan who won the Student category.

?Multi Residential Exterior and Multi Residential Interior categories winner went to Drill Hall Community Housing by MGS Architects.

?Sustainable Interior category winner went to the Venny by City of Melbourne.

Australian Grand Designs host and Judge for the Awards Peter Maddison said that the enormous shortlist meant the judges spent over six hours deciding the winners.

“The inventive use of colour and how it effects our emotions was a key driver in our deliberations.”

To view all the Dulux Colour Award winners and other entries please go to www.dulux.com.au/colourawards