Calling All Entries For AIA/LA's Restaurant Design Awards

The deadline for registration is April 2, while materials submissions are due April 30.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 2/4/2010

2009 Winner Bottega Louie by view design studio & Shubin + Donaldson & Keat Bollenbach; photo by Vam Y.K. Cheung

Restaurants, cafes, bars, nightclubs and lounges—they're as much a part of Los Angeles as the Hollywood sign and the Sunset Strip. So, it's only fitting that the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects devotes one of its most prestigious awards to their design.

Now in its sixth year, AIA/LA's Restaurant Design Awards program is accepting entries for the 2010 competition. Created to honor excellence in the field, the awards are open to architects and designers, both independent and firm-affiliated. Owners of restaurants, bars and the like are also encouraged to submit entries, which cost $75 for members of the AIA and $125 for non-members. Submissions will be judged in three categories: restaurants, café/bars, and lounges/nightclubs.

 
The Lab Gastropub by AC Martin; photo by Art Gray. The Conga Room by Belzberg Architects; photo by Benny Chan.

The deadline for registration is April 2, and materials submissions are due April 30. A jury will select the AIA award winners, while the public is encouraged to vote on the AIA/LA website for the People's Choice award. The awards ceremony will take place June 25 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Last year's winners included Studio Arthur Casas' KAA Restaurant in the restaurant category, Montalba Architect's Kara's Cupcakes for café/bar, and Belzberg Architects in the lounge/nightclub category for their Conga Room—which subsequently snagged an Interior Design Best of Year award.


Kara's Cupcakes by Montalba Architects, Inc.; photo by Mitch Tobias

Images courtesy of AIA/LA.