The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, now in its twelfth year, is a globally recognised competition dedicated to the design of Food & Beverage spaces. This covers every imaginable hospitality space, from ships to airports, museums to burger vans, and from revered Michelin-starred establishments to the fleeting dynamism of pop-ups.
Judged by a panel of some of the most influential personalities in design, hospitality and lifestyle globally, this annual, 2020 edition of the Awards attracted over 900 entries from 65 countries.
A virtual awards ceremony
In sync with a live Instagram campaign, the Virtual Awards Ceremony consisted of a trio of creative videos shown as-live on the Awards’ website on 15th October.
In addition to showcasing the 248 shortlisted projects and of course announcing the winners, the Awards ceremony host, Harry Mckinley, interviewed the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and designers Martin Brudnizki, Lazaro Rosa Violan, Roisin Lafferty, as well as a selection of this year’s judges including Dave Lane (The Gourmand), Vanessa Craft (Elle Canada), David Moralejo (Condé Nast Traveller Spain) and many more personalities.
A Greek win!
Avra Lounge at Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens in Athens, Greece won the Lighting Design International award at the Lighting category. Designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, an internationally acclaimed interior architecture and design studio in London and New York, Avra is one of the 8 restaurants featured at the lavish hotel, which opened its doors in March 2019 at the breathtaking Athens riviera.
Avra Lounge sits on the waterfront with floor-to-ceiling-windows and indoor-outdoor spaces designed to reflect a casual atmosphere. A mixture of banquette and armchair seating is blended with low-level tables, contemporary artwork and soft furnishings in pastel hues, to create a space that feels welcoming and relaxed. The woven central bar creates a focal point to the lofty space, characterised by five bespoke chandeliers.
