The Dezeen Awards China 2025 winners were revealed at a celebratory ceremony in Shanghai, where over 150 shortlisted architects, designers, and VIP guests gathered at the Kimpton Qiantan Shanghai hotel. Now in its third year, the awards program highlights the best buildings, interiors, and designs from China, with the winning projects demonstrating a sophisticated blend of local cultural sensitivity and global innovation. The top prizes—the Projects of the Year—were claimed by projects ranging from a public arts center set in a wetland to a minimalist cliffside café. The results underscore a growing movement in Chinese design that prioritizes sustainability, adaptive reuse, and a deep understanding of human experience and well-being, solidifying the region’s position as a powerhouse of world-class design excellence.
Architecture: Projects of the Year and Notable Winners
The architecture categories celebrated projects that innovatively responded to diverse environmental and social contexts, from large-scale residential developments to small, sensitive public structures.
The top prize for architecture, the Residential Project of the Year 2025, was awarded to Habitat Qinhuangdao Phrase 2 by Safdie Architects. Demonstrating design excellence in major urban development, the project showcases compelling mass housing solutions. The Small Project of the Year 2025 went to the Seaside Pavilion on Chai Shan Island by GN Architects, proving that minimalist interventions in remote natural settings can create profound public spaces. Other major winners included:
- Office and Industrial Project of the Year 2025: TAOA office by TAOA.
- Public Project (Sports, Hospitality and Entertainment) of the Year 2025: Ginkgo Valley Treehouse by Moguang Studio.
- Education Project of the Year 2025: Yijia Building of Tongji University (Students’ Activity Center in Jiading Campus) by Atelier L+ and Tongji Architectural Design (Group).
Interiors: The Bar & Cafe Triumph
The Interiors section highlighted exceptional design across commercial and residential spaces, with one cliffside cafe in particular earning the highest honors in the category. The projects showcase inventive use of space, material, and light to elevate the user experience.
The overall Interior Project of the Year 2025 was secured by Yandangshan Scenic Area Cliff Coffee by Slow Coral. This project also won the Bar and Cafe Interior of the Year 2025, recognized for its dramatic location and sensitive integration with the natural landscape. Other key interior design winners included:
- Home Interior of the Year 2025: 12M by Wei Yi International Design Associates.
- Leisure and Wellbeing Interior of the Year 2025: Moreprk Skyline by AAN Architects.
- Hotel and Short Stay Interior of the Year 2025: Lost Villa Shengsi Huanglong Island Lighthouse Hotel Interior Design by SZ-Architects.
- Office Interior of the Year 2025: Yixin Space Study Room by Atelier d’More.
Design: Technology, Craftsmanship, and Innovation
The Design categories spanned a range of products, installations, and technological breakthroughs, reflecting China’s leading role in manufacturing and material science. The winners showcased both high-tech innovation and sophisticated, bespoke craftsmanship.
The prestigious Design Project of the Year 2025 was awarded to Down in the Clouds by Practice on Earth and Increments Studio, which also won the Installation Design of the Year 2025. This winning project exemplifies creative, large-scale public art that blends industrial materials with whimsical concepts. Other notable design winners were:
- Technology Design of the Year 2025: Unitree G1 Robot by Unitree, for its cutting-edge humanoid robotics.
- Product Design of the Year 2025: Asterisk* Lighting Series by Cynics.
- Bespoke and Collectible Design of the Year 2025: Other Matter for Aēsop Hainan by Other Matter.
- Material Innovation of the Year 2025: Regenerated Ceramic Products by Yi Design, focusing on sustainable material use.
Designers of the Year: Top Studio Talent
Beyond the individual projects, the Dezeen Awards China also recognized the studios and individuals whose collective work demonstrated consistent excellence, impact, and influence on the industry over the past year.
The title of Architect of the Year 2025 was awarded to Studio Link-Arc, LLC, acknowledging their diverse portfolio of work that successfully navigates complex architectural challenges, often in the public realm. Other top firm and individual accolades were announced at the ceremony, celebrating the broad and deep pool of design talent operating across the Chinese landscape. The ceremony itself served as a major networking event, bringing together the leading creative voices from across the country to celebrate the impact of good design on society and culture.
