CELEBRATING THE PINNACLE OF COLOUR EXCELLENCE IN SPATIAL DESIGN: NIPPON PAINT CROWNS WINNERS OF THE INAUGURAL CREATIVE COLOUR AWARDS
The emerging global platform that embraces and celebrates the most creative use of colours and coatings in spatial design.
SINGAPORE, 27 JULY 2023 – Nippon Paint, Asia’s leading paint and coatings solutions company, announces the inaugural Creative Colour Awards winners. The Awards (CCA) is the brainchild of Nippon Paint’s initiative to propel the brilliant use of colours and coatings in the architectural and interior design industry. The community of passionate designers and colour lovers will bring paint’s creative and innovative applications to greater heights.
The Creative Colour Awards celebrates and recognises the most innovative uses of colours in spatial design. A critical gap in the industry was identified by Nippon Paint – the lack of a platform that celebrates the work of emerging design professionals and connect them with industry leaders and aspiring designers.
When asked about the conceptualization of the Creative Colour Awards by Nippon Paint, Jo-Lynn Yap, 
Senior Manager who oversees the award’s development said, “’The Creative Colour Awards represent a prestigious platform for honouring outstanding projects that prioritise user-focused spatial experiences. We eagerly anticipate submissions from participating brands in the regions we operate in, as we aim to celebrate the innovative and creative integration of colours through coatings in design.”
CCA witnessed a phenomenal start this year with an impressive influx of 175 submissions pouring in from 14 countries and regions – Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkiye and Vietnam; showcasing an exceptional display of international design talent and cultural perspectives that harness the transformative power of colours, setting the stage for a thrilling journey as esteemed judges prepare to unveil the winners of this prestigious celebration of creativity and design.
Across the commercial and residential spectrum, the awards recognises completed projects from Architectural and Interior Design categories. In addition, the Public Spaces category acknowledges designers’ community placemaking efforts. Each category winner was presented with a cash prize of USD 2,500, along with access to Nippon Paint’s worldwide network of designers and stakeholders, further reinforcing the brand’s vision of gathering like-minded placemakers worldwide.
“CCA is dedicated to recognising and celebrating outstanding colour accomplishments through spatial design coatings. We at Nippon Paint hope our diverse coating solutions can help you deliver your dream designs. I would love to see budding and practising designers build a strong colour portfolio through CCA. I would also like to leverage our network of connections with design leaders, colour icons and trendsetters. Most importantly, to have an avenue where passionate, creative individuals like you and I can set the tone for the future of colours. I am glad you are part of our colourful journey.” Gladys Goh, Senior Vice President of Strategic Innovation and Marketing at NIPSEA Group, said in her opening speech.
In keeping with Nippon Paint’s tagline, ‘Inspired by You’, the initiatives emphasise the vital role of colours in spatial design. As a leading coating and construction solutions provider, Nippon Paint is devoted to elevating the significance of colours in paints and coatings among industry experts, emphasising the emotional, aesthetic, and user impact of colours.
“Brought together by this platform of CCA that Nippon Paint has created, designers are bonded by – in the words of my fellow jury member Francesca – the universal language of colours. Colours convey design philosophies, unique influences and help enhance our appreciation of design. The profound impact of colours on our everyday life cannot be overstated. We are impressed by the wide range of projects submitted that showcased imaginative ways colours are used purposefully to make a difference in our everyday lives. These winning entries wonderfully demonstrated the importance of colour in architecture and spatial design, that cuts across segments of society.” Ar Seah Chee Huang, Chief Executive Officer, DP Architects, shared commentaries on behalf of this year’s panel of jury.
Burning with a bright passion for improving lives drives Nippon Paint to bring innovation to the market. The brand is highly motivated by the needs and ambitions of the community they serve. Through its stakeholders-centric and inclusive business approach, Nippon Paint aims to propel the significance of colours and coatings through its complete series of colour-related initiatives, namely the Creative Colour Awards and biennale trend forecast initiatives, the Trend Beyond Colours launching in October 2023.
About the Creative Colour Awards
The Creative Colour Awards recognises colour excellence in works of spatial designers and space owners around the world – celebrating outstanding and innovative use of colours through coatings in commercial, residential and public spaces. By curating and putting together a collection of brilliantly designed spaces with colour as the core design language, the annual colour competition will elevate the importance of colours in paints and coatings amongst industry experts.
For more colourful details, visit www.creativecolourawards.com
About NIPSEA Group (Subsidiary of Nippon Paint Holdings Co.)
NIPSEA Group is a global leader, providing innovative solutions in the paint and coatings industry. Headquartered in Singapore, with 135 NIPSEA companies spread throughout 22 geographical locations, the group is Asia Pacific’s No. 1 paint and coatings manufacturer in both production and sales revenue. After more than 60 years of growth, NIPSEA Group has over 27,000 employees with 102 manufacturing facilities and operations, efficiently serving all aspects of the business, from production to customer satisfaction. With a focus on maximising value to our customers, we push boundaries to deliver high quality solutions that work better for all our partners, tradesmen, and homeowners. The NIPSEA Group’s arsenal of solutions for the industry covers Architectural, Industrial, Automotive and Marine Coatings, as well as a range of products beyond the world of paint and coatings. We have an unyielding drive to focus on customers, providing innovation that works best for all our stakeholders.
Nippon Paint – We are Inspired by You.
For more information about NIPSEA Group, visit www.nipsea.group
Francesca Heathcoate Sapey
Based in Madrid, Francesca is a partner of Teresa Sapey + Partners- a firm renowned for designing spaces with feelings and developing bespoke projects that provide high quality experiences. She also works as an external consultant internationally on ad hoc urbanism projects. Following her degree in Architecture, and later an MA in Cultural and Critical Studies, Francesca obtained the MSc in Urban Design and City Planning at The Bartlett (UCL) in London. She is active in networks such as Young Urbanists (Academy of Urbanism), Architects E17, and the MSc UDCP Alumni Group at UCL. Currently, Francesca is also a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), of the Spanish Association of Technical Urbanists (AETU) and Women in Reals Estate (WIRES). Invited guest-speaker, lecturer and published author, her interests include ephemeral architecture and brand identity, marketplaces as socio-economic enablers, as well as meanwhile uses and early site activation, among many others.
Gladys Goh
Gladys Goh is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Innovation and Marketing for NIPSEA Group. Her active portfolio includes: Group Marketing and Communications, Group Corporate Social Responsibility, Colour Leadership, Strategic Innovation. Being a huge believer in bridging the gap between work and passion, she spends enormous amounts of time raising the capacity and interest of her teams worldwide to give back to the community. This led to the growth of many flagship community projects including the world’s longest running student-centric awards and community – the AYDA Awards. She joined Nippon Paint as the Assistant General Manager of Marketing for the Malaysia market in 2006. In 2013, she was promoted to Group General Manager of the Nippon Paint Malaysia group which includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand Deco, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines. Currently, she is also the Deputy President for Nippon Paint Marine Coatings.
Paul Tange
Upon receiving his AB (1981) and his Master’s degree in Architecture from Harvard University, Graduate School of Design in 1985, Paul Tange joined the architectural firm headed by his father, renowned architect, Kenzo Tange. In 1997, Tange became President of Kenzo Tange Associates and in 2002, he founded Tange Associates. Tange Associates has designed landmark buildings both in Japan and abroad and has designed the Tokyo Aquatics Centre for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Tange Associates’ design of the Olympic gymnasiums is the first time that father and son architects have designed the same facilities in the same city for two separate Olympics (Tokyo 1964 and 2020). His portfolio of projects include the Tokyo Aquatics Centre (Japan), Romeo Hotel (Italy), Shanghai Bank Headquarters Building (China), The One (Hong Kong, China), President International Tower (Taiwan, China), Ba Ria-Vung Tau Administration and Political Center (Vietnam), Orchardgateway (Singapore) and Bank Danamon Headquarters Building (Jakarta).
Seah Chee Huang
Seah Chee Huang is a firm believer in purpose-driven architecture that synergises economic, environmental and social dynamics, to bring positive impact and delight to everyday life. His design pursuits include Singapore Sports Hub, Our Tampines Hub, Bukit Canberra and Punggol Regional Sports Centre – all pioneering models of integrated community, sports and lifestyle hubs in Singapore. His project, GoodLife! Makan, received the President’s Design Award 2020 for its progressive approach to senior care. An advocate for the architecture profession, Chee Huang led the fraternity as President of Singapore Institute of Architects from 2018 to 2020, to drive sustainable design, ethical and enterprising practices grounded in innovative and social causes. He cares about nurturing the next generation of architects and served as adjunct tutor for the NUS Bachelor of Architecture design studios for over 10 years. He partakes in the larger discourse of the built environment in design advisory panels and committees for various agencies and institutions.
Sebnem Buhara
Şebnem Buhara is an Istanbul-based, multidisciplinary designer who graduated in architecture from Mimar Sinan University. She now continues her own company, Bou Design. Through architecture, she works on creating a new grammar with industrial design and art, all of which form her thoughts on objects and structures. Some interactions she gained from her observations found their worth in architecture, some in design, some in sculpture. For this reason, she does not limit herself to the title of architect, designer or sculptor; she can present different answers through different inspirations. In her opinion, creativity is a framework of productivity that has absolute disciplines in itself and yet, likes to be free on the path of choice. She has won several international awards such as Edida, IDA, ADA, some of her products are exhibited at İstanbul Modern Museum Store, and her collection is exhibited at Tepta Showroom. She is also a member of Architectural Urban Research Academy (AURA).
