To mark its fifth anniversary, Architectural Digest (AD) India, the ultimate design bible published by Condé Nast India, hosted the fourth edition of the exclusive AD50 event at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, on 30th March 2017. Held in association with Mercedes-Benz and supported by Nilaya by Asian Paints, Queo, Shaze, NDTV Good Times, and Case Goods, AD50 celebrated the most influential names in architecture and design for 2017 with a glittering soiree.The evening saw the launch of a limited edition Asian Paints and Architectural Digest coffee table book titled50 Inspiring Spaces 2017”. Mercedes-Benz unveiled their latest E-class at the event.

Meticulously handpicked by Greg Foster (Editor, Architectural Digest India), this year’s AD50 is an endeavor to cast the spotlight on50 most influential names in architecture and design for 2017. This year also sees the introduction of AD India’s inaugural “Hall of Fame” – a list of legends in Indian architecture and design along with the inclusion of the prestigious “Neighborhood Watch” – AD India’s list of the best firms in the Indian sub-continent. The décor for the evening was inspired by the work of American artist Donald Judd and Mandira Bedi was the host for the occasion.

This year, out of the 200 plus entries reviewed, Architectural Digest India identified eight movements that became the categories for the 2017 list: The Connoisseurs symbolizing strong signatures, and emphasis on execution, Hospitality & Co. highlighting retail, restaurants, hotels and homes, The Avant-Garde signifying the Bold, Experimental, and Innovative, The Luminaries which talk about Old School Cool, The Visualists featuring specialists in luxurious homes,The Progressives who are the proponents of experimentation, The Modernists who are the Purveyors of Clean Lines and Sharp Thinking, and finally, The Landscapists where gardening meets architecture.

AD50 2017 features Balkrishna Doshi, Bijoy Jain, Vikram Goyal, Rahul Mehrotra, Nozer Wadia, Rajiv Saini,Tony Joseph, Sunita and Kohelika Kohli, Sussanne Khan, Sanjay Puri, Vinita Chaitanya, Ashiesh Shah, Rooshad Shroff, Ayaz and Zameer Basrai,Marie-Anne Oudejans,Christopher Charles Benninger,Isla Maria ‘Loulou’ Van Damme,and many more along with other prestigious names like Palinda Kannangara, Rafiq Azam, Hirante Welandawe, Nayyar Ali Dada, and more from sub-continental hubs like Colombo, Lahore and Dhaka.

Apart from several key AD50 2017 recipients, the evening also saw the presence of noted personalities from the fields of design, interiors, architecture and fashion like Rahul Khanna, Ujjwala Raut, Lekha Washington, Divya Thakur, Nimish Shah, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Brinda and Alfaz Miller, Prerna Goel, Varun Bahl and many others.

Speaking on the occasion, Greg Foster, Editor, Architectural Digest India said, “This is the fourth edition of the AD50, and my second one. AD50 is the culmination of more than five months of research and networking, much debate, and many, many meetings, both internal and external. We had the unenviable task of objectively choosing 50 out of over 150 stunning entries we received. We hope the AD50 list will prove useful and enlightening, and leave you with an enriched understanding of architecture in India and the subcontinent today.

Since 1990, Architectural Digest (US) has been naming the world’s finest architects and designers to a select group known as the AD100. An arbiter of excellence, this exclusive list recognizes established icons and innovative pioneers, whose work is as inspiring as it is influential.  This concept was brought to India in 2014.

AD’s HALL OF FAME List
Matharoo Associates Ahmedabad
Vastu Shilpa Consultants Ahmedabad
Nozer Wadia Mumbai
Studio Mumbai
Mumbai
RMA Architects  Mumbai

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