“It never ceases to amaze us how conceptually courageous and strategically sophisticated the colour schematics are, year on year,” says Davina Harper, Dulux Colour Specialist. “Our aim with the Dulux Colour Awards is to reveal and reward the ultimate exemplars of architectural innovation using Dulux Colour as a central design device, therefore highlighting its unique potential to transform our built environment.”

This year’s Grand Prix winners epitomise these goals, and represent somewhat of a pattern emerging, namely the use of a single colour as the pivotal and defining design strategy. Although this may seem to be more straightforward conceptually than composing a complex palette, such chromatic restraint requires a remarkable degree of courage, understanding and precision to be well executed and both projects embody this, albeit in distinct ways.

New Zealand’s Grand Prix winner, Lava Flow by design practice Pac Studio, is powerful and bold, with undeniable graphic punch. The dramatic volcanic red of Dulux Silo Park on the ceiling and skylight, references Auckland’s geographic context. Its use here represents the inverse of expectations with startling impact, highlighted by the contrasting soft white of Dulux Duvauchelle. This clever interplay of dark and light frame movement and shape perception that enriches the experience. “The project demonstrates the architect’s conviction and understanding of colour as a determinant of mood and identity.” says Harper.

The Sarah & Sebastian Armadale store by design practice Richards Stanisich, Australia’s Grand Prix winner, takes Dulux Delta Break — a striking green and juxtaposes it with reflective surfaces within faceted jewel-like spaces to illicit an ethereal effect of floating under a shimmering sea. Its relevance as a highly original, timeless and transformative interior transcends its retail genre, thus embodying everything the Dulux Colour Awards strive to represent.

In determining the winners and commendation awards, this year’s judges engaged in spirited debate for some categories and unanimously agreed in others. The panel comprised Alex McLeod, Co-Founder of at.space; Andrew Parr, Director of Interiors at SJB; Kim Bridgland, Director at Edition Office; Rachel Luchetti, Co-Founder of Luchetti Krelle; Kerstin Thompson, Principal and Founder of KTA; and Dulux Colour and Communications Manager, Andrea Lucena-Orr.

“We thank the judges for their expert oversight, as well as all the entrants in the 2025 Dulux Awards programme,” says Harper. “Recognising and awarding excellence is a privilege and an inspiration. We are consistently astounded by the calibre of paradigm-shifting projects, and the architects and designers behind them who break boundaries, challenge conventions and defy expectations with their profound appreciation of the potential of colour.”

The New Zealand winners of the 2025 Dulux Colour Awards are:

New Zealand Grand Prix Winner:

Lava Flow by Pac Studio

This year’s New Zealand Grand Prix winner, Lava Flow by Pac Studio, displays remarkable chromatic restraint, spatial understanding and precise execution, and the judges applaud the courage and intelligence of the architects. Their commitment to the strategy exemplifies the power of a single colour to determine and define a built work. The hero of the story is Dulux Silo Park, a deep, earthy crimson that reflects the home’s unique geographical context within Auckland’s volcanic landscape. Great swathes of this dense colour adorn a sweeping, angular skylight, which defines the interior through its application to an upper surface, inverting expectations and accepted norms of colour placement. An adjacent wall and various architectural elements also bear this deep hue. To intensify the impact, they are contrasted with a soft white of Dulux Duvauchelle and the result is remarkable in its simplicity and dramatic impact. The intensity isn’t lost in the private zones of the project, where equally strong but muted shades are adopted and offset by exotically patterned wallpaper. The judges appreciate the purity of vision and execution of such a daring scheme and the architect’s understanding of colour as an essential determinant of mood, atmosphere and identity.

New Zealand Student Winner:

Pātaka Kōrero Fale O Tala A Storehouse Of Narratives In Samoa by Lalitpat Chomchoei of the University of Auckland

The inherent challenge of uniting four structures across three locations has been well navigated in this concept that equally considers traditional and modern elements. Its unique proposition is inviting in itself — a Storehouse of Narratives, each with its own distinctive role in the community — and the carefully considered palette adds to the allure. Its soft suite of hues has been purposefully selected to enhance the cultural significance and environmental resilience of the project. Visually and functionally suited to their Samoan climate, the four structures each clearly represents one of nature’s elements: the natural green utilised on the community hub and the deep, sea blue of the community kitchen, at the first location; the earthy red of the lookout tower at the second; and, the soft creamy white of the floating structure embracing the sky. It conveys a deep sense of place and cultural connection, and certainly invites exploration.

Click here to view the 39th Dulux Colour Awards finalists.

For further information on this year’s winners, finalists, judging criteria and terms and conditions, visit dulux.co.nz/colourawards