IKEA's Portable Refugee Shelter Wins Best Design of the Year
Other nominees included David Bowie’s album and the adidas x Parley sneaker.
“Better Shelter” by IKEA’s philanthropic arm and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been named 2016’s Beazley Design of the Year. The prestigious award helmed by London’s Design Musuem is in its ninth year and celebrates excellence in various categories of design. This year, the nominees included David Bowie’s Blackstar album, Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” advertising campaign, the adidas x Parley running shoe, the Tate Modern’s new Switch House, and a NASA’s zero-gravity space cups.
The flat-pack refugee shelter also won in the architecture category and was created by both organizations’ aim to “improve the lives of persons displaced by armed conflicts and natural disasters.” The structure can be assembled in just a few hours and includes ventilation, solar panels, LED lights and mobile chargers. Over 10,000 shelters have been delivered so far by aid organizations across the world, according to The Independent. Take a look at the assembly process in the video above and stop by the Design Museum to see all the Beazley designs on display from now until Feb. 17, 2017.
