It Takes Two

Cindy Allen -- Interior Design, 10/1/2005 12:00:00 AM

Taken one by one, the stories in our October portfolio manifest a certain kind of double identity. Consider a New York loft that's half yoga studio and a Paris duplex that's practically all disco. Tile that could be jewelry. (And a jeweler who's also a photographer.) Or a high-rise financial office that takes the high road to Scotland, a contemporary Sri Lankan resort that never forgot its Dutch colonial history, and a Hyatt headquarters with all the polish of a Hyatt hotel.

As I wrap up my work on this issue, I find myself still completely absorbed (read "obsessed") by every story, not only for itself—or its selves—but also for the way each represents a unique, creative moment for a designer or architect. Those are the moments that are so vital to the progress of our industry.

For that very reason, we've decided to build on our Hall of Fame award—which honors an entire career's range of excellence—with a second kind of award, one celebrating single virtuoso acts of genius. I am proud to announce what we hope will become an essential annual appointment for every individual who lives and breathes design: a personal-best award for a competition in multiple categories. We're so excited about this new idea that we've already posted submission details on interiordesign.net and come up with a nickname, the Breakthrough Awards.

Stay tuned. They're coming fast.