The prestigious 24^th Dulux Colour Awards last week awarded its Grand Prix title to Australian architecture and interior design firm, McBride Charles Ryan, for their high school project that sets the standards for intelligent paint choice and application.

Melbourne based McBride Charles Ryan’s work for the Fitzroy High School in Victoria has proven to be the ultimate canvas for colour in this year’s awards.  The decision followed a robust debate amongst judges who were challenged and stimulated by the particularly impressive, quality collection of this year’s finalists, which for the first time included 11 finalists from New Zealand.

The announcement was made at a gala ceremony held at The Guildford Lane Gallery in Melbourne which was transformed for the evening into a world of canvas and colour.

This year’s judging panel – Lyons’ Co-director Carey Lyon, Interior Designer Alison Page and contemporary Artist Vincent Fantauzzo – agreed that despite remarkable competition, the Grand Prix and Commercial Interior winner ultimately stood out and delivered “fantastic vibrancy from notably secondary colours to enrich the learning environment.”

The firm has been awarded a return business-class airfare and five nights’ accommodation to attend 100% Design Toyko, along with a $2,000 cash prize.

This year’s Dulux Colour Awards welcomed a bold new direction, with entries for the first time from New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The New Zealand finalists travelled to the awards ceremony in Melbourne with Dulux New Zealand brand manager, Shontelle Crosswell, and visited some buildings designed by the Grand Prix winning firm, McBride Charles Ryan.

Renay Robertson, marketing manager for Dulux New Zealand, said that even though the New Zealand team had not taken away a major award, Dulux New Zealand was delighted that so many New Zealand entries had featured in the list of finalists.

Those who did not walk away with a prestigious category title will benefit from Dulux’s sponsorship of the Interior Designer Awards; Colour in Commercial Interior Design and Colour in Residential Interior Design to be announced at the Sydney Town Hall on April 23, 2010.  All Dulux Colour Awards finalists will automatically be considered in the Interior Designer Awards, and their projects displayed at designEX, Australia’s premier design and architectural event, to be held from April 22-24 at the Sydney Convention Centre.

See the complete list of New Zealand finalists in the 2010 Dulux Colour Awards.