The finest examples of global interior design
The finest examples of global interior design were revealed today with the announcement of the shortlist for the 2023 Inside World Festival of Interiors(IWFI). IWFI is the sister festival of the World Architecture Festival (WAF), the world’s biggest live architectural awards program, and all IWFI and WAF finalists will present their projects to a panel of judges live at the international festival in Singapore, which will be held from 29 November to 1 December, 2023.

Bananain Concept Store Hangzhou by Some Thoughts Spatial Design and Research Office
Photo credit: © Shao Feng
The 2023 IWFI shortlist represents over 70 interior projects from across the globe, in cities including: New York, Sydney, Shanghai, Tokyo, Bangkok, Mumbai, Istanbul, Kyiv, Helsinki, Madrid, and London. Leading design firms to feature in this year’s shortlist include Neri & Hu, Atelier Tao+C, Woods Bagot, and Rapt Studio. Many emerging design firms will also be on stage, live pitching against the big names. Project image of the shortlist and details of the full line-up are available.
Today’s shortlist celebrates the best new completed interiors across eleven categories, ranging from Residential, Hotels and Bars & Restaurants to Workplace, Public Buildings and Meanwhile Use, each giving a window into the most cutting-edge interior design innovations, concepts, processes, and trends from around the world. The judging panel for this year’s Inside awards consists of international industry experts, including Linzi Cassels of Perkins + Will, Vincent de Graaf of AIM Architecture, Simone de Gale of Simone de Gale Architects, Friedrich Ludewig of ACME, and Ingrid van der Heijden of Civic Architects.
Among the interiors projects to be shortlisted this year are the InterContinental Hotel Sydney, in the heart of the Central Business District, by Woods Bagot, as well as New Version of Haidilao by Vermilion Zhou Design Group, a revamp of the popular international hot pot restaurant chain. Other shortlisted projects include Entertainment Company Headquarters, by Rapt Studio, an interior workplace concept designed to channel the energy of live events into a Los Angeles HQ.
Shortlisted Public Buildings include Zikawei Library, Shanghai, by Wutopia Lab, the transformation of a bookshop by David Chipperfield Architects into an emerging cultural landmark for the city, and the V&A Photography Centre, London, by Gibson Thornley Architects, a new gallery space within this world-leading museum which features a multimedia room for large-scale, immersive projections, and a walk-in camera obscura.

Le Corbusier - A Travelling Exhibition by RT+Q Architects Pte Ltd
Photo credit: RT+Q Architects Pte Ltd

Forssa Multipurpose Centre Akvarelli by Olla Architecture
Photo credit: © Martin Sommerschield - Kuvio Kuvio Photo
"This year’s entries are well up to standard, showing a zest for life and colour which reminds us of the important contribution design makes to the everyday world,” comments IWFI program director Paul Finch.
World Architecture Festival (WAF)
WAF is where the world architecture community meets to celebrate, learn, exchange, and be inspired. WAF is the world’s largest annual, international, live architectural event. It includes the biggest international architectural awards program in the world, dedicated to celebrating excellence via live presentations to an audience of high-profile delegates and international juries.
IWFI runs alongside WAF, with its own awards and conference program. Delegates have access to both events. WAF and Inside are organized by EMAP, publishers of The Architectural Review and The Architects’ Journal.