Inside World Festival of Interiors 2023. MEXTRA Lab Base by IDMatrix – Photo by Shi Xiang Wan He.

Interiors – Inside World Festival of Interiors 2023, the sister event of the World Architecture Festival, has unveiled the shortlisted projects that will be pitching against each other at the final event in Singapore from November 29 to December 1 to bring home the Interior Design of the Year award. We selected ten standing-out interior designs.

• RELATED STORIES: Read more about the World Architecture Festival 2023 on Archipanic.

AKM Terrace Restaurant by Tabanlioglu Architects

AKM Terrace Restaurant by Tabanlioglu Architects – Photo by Fevzi Öndü.

Turkish leading studio Tabanlioglu Architects competes with the Atatürk Cultural Center Terrace Restaurant, which features an eye-catching terrace representing Istanbul’s rich culture and lifestyle. The plush interior design features ceramic panels and wood or copper wall elements. The original ceramics of AKM inspired the custom-designed ceiling coverings.

FUEGO restaurant by VAIR Design 

FUEGO restaurant in Bangkok by VAIR Studio – Photo by Depth of Field Co., Ltd.

The concept design for the FUEGO Spanish and Japanese restaurant in Bangkok by Thai studio VAIR Design centres on combining these two food cultures, utilising the ‘fire’ element in the cooking process. The space’s focal point is the open kitchen, encircled by a U-shaped bar where diners can observe the chef at work. The bulkhead ceiling above the kitchen is adorned with reflective material and linear lighting, reminiscent of the bustling lights of a city, drawing inspiration from the vibrancy of Spanish culture.

Intercontinental Hotel Sydney by Woods Bagot

Intercontinental Hotel Sydney by Woods Bagot – Photo by Trevor Mein.

Woods Bagot competes with refurbishing the 5-star hotel that offers uninterrupted views of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Sydney Harbour. The international studio preserved the historic fabric of the building and unified this with contemporary materials and details, simultaneously delineating and unifying the old and new. The interior design draws from the grandeur of the past whilst introducing materials, details and furnishings synonymous with the relaxed Australian lifestyle.

V&A Photography Centre by Gibson Thornley Architects

V&A Photography Centre by Gibson Thornley Architects – Photo credit © Thomas Adank.

Gibson Thornley Architects and Purcell have completed the V&A Photography Centre in London, including a double-height library, a walk-in camera obscura, and five gallery spaces while preserving the original historic structure. Working closely with the V&A’s curatorial team and a group of 16-24-year-olds, Gibson Thornley Architects aimed to democratise the galleries and make them more accessible to younger generations.

MEXTRA Lab Base by IDMatrix

MEXTRA Lab Base by IDMatrix – Photo by Shi Xiang Wan He.

IDMatrix nested a high-end furniture store at the Mextra Lab Base in Dongguan, China. The retail space features a 47m-long metal mosaic with an eye-catching centrepiece that pays tribute to legendary Spanish artist and architect Antoni Gaudi. A scenographic attempts to riff on his unique style using modern materials such as metallic tubes.

Swatantra Residence by Spaces Architects@KA

Swatantra Residence by Spaces Architects@KA – Photo by Bharat Aggarwal.

Space Architects@KA has created the out-of-the-box architecture and interior design of the Swatantra Residence, a luxury home for three generations of the same family in India. The project is arranged around a triple-height courtyard. Its decor is envisioned as an exploration of art and concrete, and everything from the furniture and lighting to the overall layout is chosen to complement the concrete’s properties.

Ziinlife Beijing Store by atelier tao+c

Ziinlife Beijing Store by atelier tao+c – Photo by © Wen Studio.

atelier tao+c has transformed a former textile warehouse in Beijing into the new showroom for the ZIIN furniture brand. The architects created two intersecting square frameworks, which were rotated 45 degrees and formed independent nested buildings in a building. One framework is wood-panelled, and the other is clad with corrugated polycarbonate panels so that sunlight shines through the space highlighting a unique sense of place. 

Bananain Concept Store Hangzhou by Some Thoughts

Bananain Concept Store Hangzhou by Some Thoughts – Photo by SFAP.

In exploring the design for the Hangzhou concept store of Chinese fashion brand Bananain, Some Thoughts drew inspiration “from the geometric elements in the coordinate system that we aspire to combine into the spatial design. Vertical is the most straightforward expression of gravity, while bending is a poetic depiction of gravity.” As applied in the interior, the cantilevers hanging over the columns have reinforced this structural form. In contrast, abstract and curved forms and units were created by researching unconventional shapes and materials.

Le Corbusier 101 by RT+Q Architects

‘Le Corbusier – A Travelling Exhibition’ by RT+Q Architects Pte Ltd – Photo by RT+Q Architects Pte Ltd.

The Le Corbusier 101 exhibition at the National Design Centre Singapore featured 101 models from the private collection of RT+Q Architects as well as furniture and prints from the private collection of Manuel Der Hagopian and Peter Tay Studio. The physical models are the work of interns at RT+Q. “Through the years, it has been a ‘tradition’ for interns to spend the first week of their internship building a model of a Le Corbusier work. The aim is to acquaint the young student with the design ideas of arguably the most versatile architect of the 20th century.”

KingJee Winsun Office Space Reconstruction by ADINJU Muhhe Studio

Office Space Reconstruction of KingJee Winsun by ADINJU Muhhe Studio – Photo by Hou Bowen.

ADINJU Muhhe Studio completed the new KingJee Winsun office space in a dilapidated 1980s industrial factory in Nanjing, China. Two rooms at different levels in adjacent buildings are connected by wide steps while keeping a seamless industrial mood. The studio also optimised ventilation and achieved uniform natural lighting.

• All images: courtesy of the Inside World Festival of Interiors.