'How creativity can transform our world': meet the winners of the 2025 London Design Medals

The winners of the 2025 London Design Medals have been announced as the London Design Festival prepares to kick off this week (13-21 September), with Michael Anastassiades, Norman Foster, Sinéad Burke and Rio Kobayashi awarded the annual design accolade. The winners were selected by a jury including Festival Director Ben Evans as well as Ozwald Boateng, Es Devlin, Yinka Ilori, Alice Rawsthorn, and Jane Withers, among others.

'This year's medal recipients represent the breadth of contemporary design excellence,' says Evans. 'From Michael Anastassiades' approach to lighting that has redefined spatial experiences, to Lord Norman Foster's architectural legacy spanning over six decades, Sinéad Burke's vital work making design truly accessible for all, and Rio Kobayashi's innovative craft practice that bridges tradition with contemporary vision. These designers exemplify how creativity can transform our world.'

LONDON DESIGN MEDALS 2025: MEET THE WINNERS

London Design Medal - Michael Anastassiades

Awarded with the London Design Medal, 'bestowed upon an individual who has distinguished themselves within the industry and demonstrated consistent design excellence,' Michael Anastassiades needs little introduction, high lighting work having revolutionised the aesthetic of the genre in the nearly 20 years since he launched his eponymous brand.

Working on lighting, objects and furniture for a variety of companies and brands, he has conceived a design language that is as much about subtraction and precision as it is about poetry and a refined aesthetic.

Read our ultimate guide to Michael Anastassiades' designs

Lifetime Achievement Medal – Norman Foster

'Since my early childhood, design has been an integral part of my life, and I feel extremely privileged to have indulged in this passion every day of my life since,' said Norman Foster upon the award being announced. The founder and chairman of architecture and design firm Foster + Partners, for the past five decades he has been a pioneer of innovative architecture, urbanism and sustainable design.

Read our guide to know more about Norman Foster

Design Innovation Medal - Sinéad Burke

Awarded to Sinéad Burke, the Design Innovation Medal is an accolade that 'celebrates entrepreneurship in all its forms, honouring an individual for whom design lies at the core of their development and success.'

A little person with Acondraplasia, Burke's experience was driven by her training as a teacher, which made her realise how spaces are often inaccessible to disabled people, hindering her ability to thrive and succeed in a career. In 2020, she founded strategic consultancy 'Tilting the Lens' with the aim of 'building an accessible and fairer world'. Alongside a majority-disabled team, she works globally to create accessible public spaces and advise companies on recruitment, workflows, and culture changes - with clients including Chanel, Gucci, Microsoft, NASA, and the V&A.

'It is a privilege to receive the Design Innovation Award. As a majority Disabled team, we’ve seen few places acknowledge the innovation and intellectual property of lived experience,' says Burke. 'At Tilting the Lens, our design practice is rooted in co-designing with communities that have historically been designed for. Our co-design and human-centered design framework means that Disabled people are central to the design process, allowing us to collectively improve and transform systems. Our focus is for design innovation to be multi-modal, to move beyond compliance, and to create the conditions for Disabled people to be successful.'

Emerging Design Medal - Rio Kobayashi

Rio Kobayashi's recent impact on the design scene, in London and beyond, is undeniable. In a short time, his work has blossomed through collaborations with designers and makers, combining his woodworking expertise and creative approach with new influences from friends across the industry.

Born in Japan, he trained as a furniture maker in Austria and launched his studio in East London in 2017, he established his East London studio. His work spans furniture, lighting, interiors, and sculptural objects with a distinct sense of craft and material.

'I am truly honoured to receive this recognition from the design community, alongside inspirational figures who have forged new paths of creativity for the future.'