Alt Group wins gold at Best Design Awards

Alt Group wins gold at Best Design Awards for Auckland University Press’s Shigeru Ban: Cardboard Cathedral

Shigeru Ban: Cardboard Cathedral by Andrew Barrie with photographs by Bridgit Anderson and Stephen Goodenough and designed by Alt Group has won a prestigious gold award in the 2014 annual Best Design Awards in the Graphic Design: Editorial and Books category.

Organised by the Designers' Institute of New Zealand, the Best Awards highlight the most creative and cutting-edge designs made in New Zealand over the past year. From timber and felt chairs, to highly crafted books, sleek wine bottles and fine dining spaces, the winners of this year's awards were announced in Auckland on Friday night.

Designers' Institute of New Zealand CEO Cathy Veninga said the 2014 awards distinguish the value that great design has. “The wide scope and high quality designs that have won this year reflect the creative power of the New Zealand design industry. With the rise of export design, we're competing with the best work in the world, and holding our own internationally.”

Andrew Barrie responded to the news saying, “Much like the Cathedral itself, this book was a labour of love by all concerned, so it’s great to have that work recognized in such a fabulous way. Alt Group's design for the book sought to match the innovation and conceptual clarity of Shigeru Ban's building, and this award is proof that they have risen to that challenge. Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban is the most important architect to have worked in New Zealand in a generation – arguably ever – and this acknowledgement for the book about his Cardboard Cathedral will further cement the building's place in our architectural history.”

Auckland University Press Director Sam Elworthy commented: “It's a big thrill to win gold at the Best Awards for Shigeru Ban. I've just returned from the Frankfurt Book Fair where art publishers from round the world just loved this book and it’s great to get recognition at home too. Well done to a great team – Alt, Auckland University Press staff, the author, architect and photographers.”

ENDS

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