Dulux has unveiled its winners of the 2023 Colour Awards, with eight projects chosen amongst a field of 113 finalists across Australia and New Zealand.

The esteemed Jury have awarded people-centric places and projects which utilise colour as a transformative tool.

“Colour is universal but it means different things to different people,” says Dulux Colour and Communications Manager Andrea Lucena-Orr.

“This year’s suite of award winners epitomises the capacity for colour to transform spaces and elicit emotion in everybody.”

“The level of ambition in each brief and the sophistication in the palettes designed to realise those architectural aims increases every year. From a tiny apartment to a multi-storey community hub or a modest storage shed to a heritage theatre, the originality and brave employment of colour is outstanding.”

Sibling Archirecture’s Darebin Intercultural Centre (pictured top) was awarded the prestigious Australian Grand Prix prize, along with the Commercial Interior - Public and Hospitality award. The project’s use of colour seeks to foster an inclusive and diverse community for all.

st james theatre

The St James Theatre (pictured above) renewal in Wellington saw Shand Shelton crowned the winner of the New Zealand Grand Prix. With people at its heart too, this project, dedicated to the production and enjoyment of theatre performance, saw the revitalisation of the century-old building become a celebration of craftsmanship and collaboration.

“Both Grand Prix winners demonstrated surprising colour combinations and palette choices, with outstanding success,” a collective statement by the Jury reads.

“Nevertheless, the majority of award contenders were so distinct from one another, we fervently debated the merits of each, particularly in the Residential Interior, Workplace and Retail, Public and Hospitality, and Student categories.”

“The calibre of this year’s student entries rendered it one of the strongest categories and we were impressed with the originality, maturity and conviction displayed in the array of design entries,” said the judges.

Sage and blush hues become a recurring theme amongst a range of projects, with numerous outstanding examples of commitment to a single colour seen amongst a suite of entries.

“Across the board, the high calibre of projects is to be celebrated for they represent a mastery in colour usage, which can only serve to improve our built environment, and ultimately our collective and individual experience of it,” the Judges’ statement continues.

Alma Road Residence

The respected panel of Judges comprised Andrew Piva, Director of B.E Architecture; Brahman Perera, Inter-disciplinary Designer and Director of his eponymous studio; Lisa Lee, Senior Interior Designer of Snøhetta; Sarah Carney, Project Director of CTRL Space; and, Byron George, Director of Russell & George.

“Colour is a powerful and integral design tool, and we are constantly astounded by the level of innovation with which architects and designers employ it,” says Lucena-Orr.

“It is our great pleasure at Dulux to collaborate with such courageous, creative minds and to award their extraordinary work.”

Please find the full list of winners below.

Grand Prix Australia Winner: Darebin Intercultural Centre, Sibling Architecture

Grand Prix New Zealand Winner: St James Theatre, Shand Shelton

Single Residential Exterior: Nightlight (NZ), Fabric

Residential Interior: Alma Road Residence, StudioFour (pictured above)

postal hall

Commercial Interior – Workplace And Retail: Postal Hall, Trower Falvo Architects with Alessio Fini (pictured above)

Commercial Interior – Public And Hospitality: Darebin Intercultural Centre, Sibling Architecture

Commercial & Multi Residential Exterior: Phive Community, Cultural and Civic Hub, DesignInc

Student Category Australia: Hues of Mount Kunanyi, Rubi Shields (RMIT)

Student Category New Zealand: The Canopy Bench, Augustina Binyamin (Victoria University)

Jarrod Reedie

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