Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026: Launch of the year shortlist

Geoffrey Bawa’s Number 11 sleepover

A new sleepover in Colombo could easily be labelled a time warp; however, it is far more accurately understood as an immersion in the enduring magnetism of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Tucked at the end of a discreet cul-de-sac off Bagatalle Road, the former residence of the godfather of Tropical Modernism, Number 11, has become one of the city’s most intriguing places to stay. The property unveiled its first suite seven years after Bawa’s passing; now, a second room deepens the chance to inhabit his world at full scale. Sleep feels almost incidental when you can drift through spaces lined with original artefacts, sketches and artworks.

La Dolce Vita Orient Express

How does a 142-year-old institution continue to matter in a culture that moves at high speed? Orient Express, founded in 1883, has undergone something of a renaissance since its alignment with Accor (2022) and later LVMH (2024), signalling not reinvention so much as a renewed sense of intent. This summer (June 2025), it unveiled the anticipated La Dolce Vita Orient Express: a study in slow travel dreamt up by Milan-based Dimorestudio, which channelled the glamour of 1960s and 1970s Italy. With 12 carriages, a 62-guest occupancy and spaces that prize intimacy, its routes trace 16,000km across 14 regions and 131 Italian cities. Who said long journeys couldn’t be comfortable?

Yinka Ilori Foundation

Play and joy have always been founding principles of artist and designer Yinka Ilori's practice. In 2025, the British-Nigerian creative announced the launch of the Yinka Ilori Foundation, a not-for-profit initiative to bring play, optimism and empowerment to communities worldwide.

'Growing up, play gave me freedom to dream,' says Ilori as he introduces the foundation's mission. 'It allowed me to turn swings into spaceships and everyday places into worlds of possibility. That sense of imagination and joy is something my mother instilled in me, and it's at the heart of why I launched the Yinka Ilori Foundation.'

The foundation's mission statement mentions co-creation, inclusivity, and sustainability as its founding principles, with an aim to create permanent community spaces across the globe. For its inaugural project, Ilori is creating a playscape in Nigeria (his family's ancestral home) co-built by the local community. The space will be based on modular play structures and will be the stage for a series of workshops and community events that will include training in caretaking to make the project sustainable in the long-term and empower its users.

Triennale Voce

Voce is a new space withing Triennale Milano dedicated to music and sound, described as 'an adaptable and multifunctional soundscape with exceptional acoustic and lighting qualities.'

The 300 square metre space, set within the Palazzo Dell'Arte and adjacent to the Triennale gardens, is the new home of Triennale's music programme. The space was conceived to be adapted into a variety of uses (including as a dance floor!), and features a modular seating system designed by modular system designed by Philippe Malouin and produced by Meritalia. Meanwhile, the sound system was designed and engineered by Giorgio Di Salvo, and the lighting design by Anonima Luci. Architect Luca Cipelletti orchestrated the space, giving it a cohesive, functional and aesthetically bold identity.

triennale.org

V&A East Storehouse

Museum displays are typically the tip of a collection’s iceberg, but this is neatly turned on its head at the V&A East Storehouse in London. The Victoria and Albert Museum family’s newest outpost opened in May 2025 to critical acclaim (and with a Wallpaper* exclusive, no less), designed by New York-based architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) with support from UK-based architects Austin-Smith:Lord.

This is a museum but not as you know it. The V&A East Storehouse is a pioneering statement in museum storage; crossing its threshold is not only a deep dive into the celebrated institution’s vast and incredibly varied holdings but also offers unprecedented public access to all its treasures. The new, purpose-built interior is home to some 250,000 objects, 350,000 books and 1,000 archives. Central to this is the fact that nearly everything is placed within a continuous shelving-grid ‘cloud’, exposed and open for all to see.

Skin Fetish: Glass 001 Artistry Mask, by Pat McGrath Labs

Skin Fetish: Glass 001 Artistry Mask by Pat McGrath is a peel-off, pore-blurring gel containing ingredients such as hydrating glycerin, rose flower water and allantoin. It delivers ‘the same hypnotic, light-catching finish that left the beauty world spellbound’, the brand said in a statement. The mask made its debut at Maison Margiela Artisanal 2024 haute couture show, and went stratospherically viral: a look that transformed John Galliano’s cast of models (including Gwendoline Christie and Leon Dame) into living porcelain dolls with ‘glass skin’ that appeared almost hyperreal.

‘Glass Skin 001 is my love letter to the Maison Margiela runway,’ adds Pat McGrath. ‘This formula captures the brilliance of that iconic moment, delivering hyper-shiny, lacquered radiance and an ethereal glow in minutes. It’s beauty reimagined for makeup lovers everywhere. Wear it, love it, make it yours.’