Surrey City Centre Library
November 24, 2011–February 26, 2012
DESIGN EXCHANGE / Exhibition Hall
Toronto Dominion Centre
234 Bay St.
Toronto, ON M5K 1B2
Tel: 416-216-2126
Email: laura@dx.org
website: www.dx.org
Hours: Mon–Fri 10–5, Sat–Sun 12–5 p.m.
Fees: Adult $10, Student/Senior $8, DX Members free
On November 23 the Design Exchange Awards announced Canada’s top 50 design projects.
In its 20th year the awards welcomed hundreds of entries from across Canada in Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Visual Communications, Fashion and CEO of the Year. Winning projects will be featured in a major exhibition at the DX.
Projects were judged on their level of innovation, sustainability/accessibility, function profitability and aesthetics.
HIGHLIGHTS:
CEO of the year was presented to Pierre Beaudoin, President and CEO of Bombardier.
Headquartered in Montreal, Bombardier is a leader in state of the art aerospace and rail transportation. Bombardier is a true Canadian success story with revenues of $17.7 billion. Astoundingly, every three seconds a Bombardier aircraft takes off or lands around the globe.
In the Commercial Architecture category, three libraries across Canada took prized positions. Projects include Bibliotheque Raymond-Levesque by atelier TAG (Manon Asselin Architect) in Quebec (Gold), Surrey City Centre Library in British Columbia by Bing Thom Architects Inc. (Silver) and Hamilton Central Library and Farmers Market by RDH Architects Inc. in association with david premi Architect Inc.
These projects have helped transform city centres by reconnecting the community and encouraging reading, studying and unity. Each library has witnessed a significant rise in attendance, illustrating how exceptional design attracts the public. Principal designers Andrea Lenczner and Christie Smythe of Smythe took home Gold in the Fashion Category.
Recognized for high quality contemporary jackets and coats designed and manufactured domestically in Canada, Smythe set out to create a niche position to exploit the denim phenomenon and address the growing trend of label mixing. Today, Smythe boasts a broad customer base with international distribution around the world including the United States, UK, Japan and Canada.
For a full list of winners or to browse the Winners Catalogue, go to www.v2com.biz. Each project has a unique design story and reflects Canadian talents—to learn more about each project contact Cindy Grenke at cindy@dx.org or 416-216-2134.
ABOUT THE DESIGN EXCHANGE
Design Exchange (DX) is Canada’s Design Centre and Museum with a mission to promote the value of design. It is an internationally recognized non-profit educational organization committed to promoting greater awareness of design as well as the indispensable role it plays in fostering economic growth and cultural vitality. DX improves communication between various design disciplines, educators, businesses and the general public through programs, exhibits, lectures, and workshops. For more information visit www.dx.org.