Architectural interior design studio CTRL Space has received international recognition for its work on Michael Meredith’s Metita, a Pacific-inspired restaurant in Auckland’s SkyCity hotel, named Best Australia & Pacific Restaurant in the Hotel category of the prestigious Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. Metita was the sole nominee from New Zealand.

Metita was celebrated alongside 26 category winners, five regional winners (awarding the best in the Americas, Asia, Australia and Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa), and the two overall winners Title at The Warehouse (Sharq, Kuwait), by Lines, and Coffee Bar at Gaoxingli Insun Cinema (Haikou China), by One Plus Partnership.

There were 39 entries in total from New Zealand and Australia with CTRL Space the New Zealand category winner, along with five winners from Australia: Akin Atelier / RBA (Melbourne), Jordon Design Studio (North Sydney), Woods Bagot (Adelaide), Like Minds Studio (Chippendale, AU), and Hachem (Melbourne) taking out the regional award for Best Australia/Pacific Restaurant/Bar for Amphora at Marvel Stadium.

Now in its 16th year, the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards are the only awards of its kind dedicated to the recognition of exceptional creative food and beverage spaces all over the world. The judging panel is a heavy-weight line up of international industry leaders including Rika Lisslo, Vice President Development, Hyatt Hotels Corporation; and David Martin, Global Head of Restaurants & Bars, Corinthia Hotels and Aurelie Schwend, Director Interior Design, Luxury Brands, Marriott International, who described Metita’s design as having a “very nice feel and mix of materials”, with “authentic and crafted details”.

CTRL Space’s Founder and Principal, Chris Stevens and Creative Director, Sam Griffin collected the award at a ceremony at the Hoxton Hotel in Barcelona, celebrating alongside influential hospitality designers and operators from around the globe.

Stevens said he was extremely honoured to be recognised by the Restaurant and Bar Design awards and to receive such high praise from the judges. “This is incredible. We are so proud to represent New Zealand on an international stage such as this. We put our heart and soul into our work and it is extra special that Metita is the recipient of this award. Its design is enduring but importantly, it adds something truly unique to our country’s hospitality landscape, helping to tell the story of Aotearoa’s rich and vibrant culture”, he says.

CTRL Space has studios in Auckland and Brisbane and is the name behind interior works for many of New Zealand’s most well-known and prestigious hospitality venues, hotels and workplaces. The Restaurant and Bar Design Award win follows an Interior Award for Metita and a Best Award for Nightcar.