The Association of Professional Interior Designers (APID) has announced the winners of their inaugural ‘FoID Product Design Competition’ which was held in Dubai recently.

Bersun Erturk bagged top honors for his entry - ‘LOCT’ - a coffee table, while Norah Al Twaijri won second place for her multi-functional chair called ‘Rest and Read’ at a gala dinner held during the inaugural Festival of Interior Design at The Address Hotel. 

Coming in at third and fourth place respectively was a decorative light fixture called ‘Azpire’ by Shersha Sarith and a uniquely designed table called ‘Loop Concept Table’ by Rami Al Khatib.

The competition was aimed at showcasing the creativity and talent of the local design community and was opened to members of the design industry and local community including individuals, groups or any design-based firms, said a statement from Apid.

Apid said it has been formed to represent professional interior designers in the Gulf region and is the only association of its kind in the region. It is also a member of International Federation of Interior Architects / Designers (IFI).

“We would like to congratulate the winners of the ‘FoID Product Design Competition’ who truly exceeded our expectations in terms of design, concept and creativity,” said Farida Abdulla Kamber Al Awadhi, president of Apid.

Erturk’s entry was recognized for its representation of the strength of family ties by using the traditional octagonal Islamic pattern, she explained.

‘LOCT’ is a coffee table that shows the designers intrinsic focus on detail, where every leg of the table supports the one next to it thereby creating a free standing furniture piece. Norah Al Twaijri’s entry, ‘Rest and Read,’ consists of a seating area, two compartments for books or magazines and a right armrest that is flat to be used for writing or holding plates or cups.

“These four winners demonstrate the immense pool of talent we have in the region and also showcases their commitment to infuse traditional Arabic elements into modern and contemporary pieces," Al Awadhi remarked.

"The competition has helped us achieve one of the objectives that we have set out for the inaugural ‘FoID,’ which is to showcase the talent and creativity of design professionals coming from the Middle East region," she added.

Rami Al Khatib’s entry entitled ‘Loop Concept Table,’ showcases a fluid line to form an interesting structure supporting the fulcrum points of a table.

According to the designer, ‘Loop’ represents a part of modern lifestyle where friends can gather around it and enjoy great moments.

Another contestant Shersha Sarith showcased her ‘Azpire,’ a decorative light fixture built by joining 16 symmetrical polygonal boxes with LED’s arranged in particular positions.

"'Azpire' is a simple, yet complex model, designed to attract and make people admire the complex beauty that lives in every corner of the model," Al Awadhi explained.

"The success and the overwhelming response for this event have given us the confidence to lay the groundwork for a more exciting and activity-filled second edition of ‘FoID’ and the competition itself," she added.-TradeArabia News Service