The Design Agency, a Toronto-based firm, has won a 2013 Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design for Generator Barcelona. They were the only Canadian designers to take home an award. Generator Barcelona was selected from over 260 entries as the winner of the Best Hotel Budget/Focused Service category. The awards ceremony was held on November 10, 2013 in New York City at the New York Palace.
Presented by the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS) and sponsored by Boutique Design magazine and HOTELS magazine, the Gold Key Awards represent the most innovative hospitality properties constructed or renovated within the past 18 months.
Located in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, the winning project is Generator urban design hostel’s flagship location. The interior design privileged public spaces to encourage mixing and mingling and integrated custom elements common to Generator’s aesthetic – such as signature “G” sculptures, fun lighting fixtures, bold colour schemes and branding. The Design Agency collaborated with local craftspeople and suppliers to give the project an authentic flavour, with customized furnishings and murals that infuse Generator with the history and tradition of the Spanish city.
The Design Agency also received an honourable mention in the Best Restaurant—Casual Dining category for Toronto’s Momofuku Noodle Bar, located in the Shangri-La Hotel on University Avenue in the downtown core.