One Plus Partnership has a simple philosophy. “We want every project to be distinct and special,” says founder Virginia Lung and creative director Ajax Law, “but also clearly recognisable as our own.”

When it comes to Japanese sake, there is one place that aficionados regard above all others – Nadagogo near Kobe city in Hyogo Prefecture. So when Hong Kong studio Design East was asked to design a sake-focused Japanese restaurant for the Wyndham Grand in Shenzhen, Nadagogo soon emerged as the name and theme.

As a child growing up in Hong Kong, Florence Chan was always fascinated by the tall buildings that surrounded her. Two decades on, the accomplished architect and A&D Awards 2020 judge can list some of the most iconic skyscrapers in China and Hong Kong on her resume of projects.

Entrepreneurship often requires out-of-the-box thinking, but for young start-ups at the Dream Factory in Shenzhen, it now comes with “out-of-this-world” design inspiration!

Your best chance of success in the A&D Awards 2020 is to break out of the ordinary with brave and bold ideas. That’s the view of several members of this year’s powerhouse judging panel, who themselves have earned some of the industry’s biggest accolades.

When Alexandra Byrne looked at the dynamic, crystalline façade of the four-level townhouse in downtown Hong Kong, she knew she needed to design an equally striking and contemporary interior, leveraging the crystal theme. The result is a stunning and opulent sanctuary in the heart of the city.

he real value of awards, says passionate urban designer Dr Sujata Govada, is to celebrate bold thinking and projects that go beyond the ordinary to make our lives better.

When it comes to bars and restaurants, Myron Kwan is in his element. The mainland Chinese-born designer has collaborated on F&B projects with influential developers and leading hotel groups, such as Marriott, Intercontinental and Mandarin Oriental, across Asia and beyond.

Some of the most celebrated and experienced practitioners in the world of architecture and design have come together to assess the entries in A&D Awards 2020.

Persistence has its own reward – just ask Kevin Lim, founder of one of Hong Kong’s hottest design studios OpenUU. Last year, after six attempts, he finally broke through for the studio’s first win in the A&D awards – and now the company is working on a major Hong Kong hotel renovation, its biggest project to date.