The first year of the Cross Design Contest 2017 has officially drawn to an end. Launched by Caesar, the competition aimed to encourage the creativity of architects and professionals, through the design of a loft that reflected one of the three concepts (rise, reverb, and peaceful) in CrossDesign Magazine.

The three award-winning projects were announced in Fiorano, Italy at the opening of the NewCaesar Gallery. Of the 102 international projects received, the panel of judges announced Luca Paviglianiti's "ElegantContrast" as the winning project. The 24-year-old interior designer from Milan was the youngest participant in the contest and has been rewarded with the opportunity to see his project brought to life in the new Caesar show room.

Inspired by the reverb theme, the young designer developed a concept of "elegant contrasts" for the loft. Dedicated to Milan, the design reflects the heterogeneous aesthetics of the city, where innovative, modern buildings sit alongside architectural styles of the past, naturally integrated with one another with elegance.

"This is the first time I've been involved in a competition where ceramic materials are the key element of the design brief,” said Paviglianiti. “It was undoubtedly exciting because it is interesting to see how such a versatile material can be used to express a personal style, through the exploration of different colors, textures, and sizes."

As well as the €5,000 ($5,900) prize money, Paviglianiti will have an exclusive interview with British design magazine ICON.

"Pura essenza," by the Fregnan, Caputo, and Poloniato team, and Valentina Toni's "Black Star/a new Victorian loft" earned second and third places respectively, with the designers taking home €3,000 ($3,500) and €2,000 ($2,400) prizes and the chance to exhibit at Cersaie.

"Our participation in the contest was extremely important for us, both as a team and individually, as it provided us with an experience that was unquestionably enriching for us from a methodological viewpoint," said the Fregnan, Caputo, and Poloniato team.

For Valentina Toni the competition was "an escape from the everyday routine of the self-employed professional, a moment for unlimited personal expression."

In addition to the special mention by the panel for the designs submitted by German architect Stephan Poppelman and the Ukrainian-Hungarian duo Aljona Kolesznikova and Sergii Borodenk, Ceramiche Caesar also introduced the Web Award, awarded to the Med Architetti Associati Group with the design titled "Le stanze della materia." Chosen from the five works that received the highest number of votes from the online community, the design features a combination of colorful contemporary design objects, which stand out against the understated tones and textures of the setting.

"What strikes you most, upon viewing the designs submitted, is the wealth of ideas,” said Adolfo Tancredi, CEO of Ceramiche Caesar and judge. “In my view, that is one of the most important aspects and something we hope our showroom will encourage in particular."

For more information, visit www.caesar.it.