Tan (second from left) and his dynamic team celebrating a double triumph at the Creative Colour Awards (CCA) in Chennai.

PETALING JAYA: Nippon Paint has announced that TKCA Architect achievement as the recipient of the 2024 Creative Colour Awards (CCA) Grand Prix, which was presented on July 25, 2024 and held at the ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, India.

They also won the Best in Corporate and Commercial Exterior in the Architectural category for their innovative and purposeful applications of colours in design. 

“We are deeply honoured to represent Malaysia at the Creative Colour Awards 2024 alongside other talents from around the world. We look forward to continuing pushing the boundaries of architecture and interior design and harnessing the potential of colours to create spaces that inspire and benefit our communities,” said founder of TKCA Architect Rien Tan. 

Tan was also the previous regional gold winner for the 2015 Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA).

Built-in collaboration with Skyworld Development Sdn Bhd, SAMA Square Market bagged gold for the Best in Commercial and Corporate Exterior category. The gold submission envisioned a multifunctional urban space in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. It integrates three main zones, which are the main market building, the open street people plaza and the retail village.

The design maximises the use of the ground plane, creating layered public plazas, markets and retail spaces that foster sustainable community interactions. The market design emphasises transparency and natural light, with bright and translucent facades.

Tan shared that colour plays a significant role in the design of SAMA Square Market. The purposeful use of various colours helps delineate different zones and creates a lively atmosphere that reflects the vibrant urban character of the area. Bright colours on the translucent facades of the main market building contribute to a sense of openness and cleanliness while contrasting colours in the open street people plaza and retail village highlight special zones and amenities.

Bolstering their portfolio further is TKCA Architect’s SkyBlox Co-Living Housing. The Setapak landmark featuring distinctive yellow cantilever prefab units won Best Residential Exterior in the Architectural Category. The development includes 320 en-suite rooms with customised interiors that can accommodate over 500 residents. 

The project employs prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) for all rooms, whereas the colour scheme includes yellow, dark grey and light grey. An open corridor design with cross ventilation improves interior air quality, while a translucent panel roof enhances natural daylight in the corridors, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow.

“As we embark on this global journey with the Creative Colour Awards to facilitate creativity and excellent colour use in the industry, we believe in the transformative power of colour to shape our world. Through colours, we connect with communities worldwide, fostering a deeper understanding of design’s profound impact on our daily lives,” says Francesca Heathcote, partner at Teresa Sapey + Partners.

This year the CCA garnered 157 submissions from 11 countries and regions including India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and the Middle East, reflecting diverse cultural influence involving colours in architecture and interior design.

The awards span across commercial, corporate, residential and public spaces categories, awarding designers’ efforts in harnessing the transformative power of colours and channel it to benefit the surrounding communities. Through the CCA, Nippon Paint underscores its commitment to elevating the creative use of colour in spatial design. By recognising emerging design professionals and connecting them with key industry leaders, the CCA aims to fill a crucial gap and foster growth and innovation.

Nippon Paint’s subsidiary NIPSEA Group’s strategic innovation and marketing senior vice president Gladys Goh said the Creative Colour Awards represents Nippon Paint’s commitment to celebrating and showing support for outstanding colour excellence through spatial design colour and coatings. 

“As a leading coatings and construction solutions manufacturer, Nippon Paint is committed to elevating the importance of colours in paints and coatings among industry experts and professionals. We would like to congratulate this year’s winners and we are excited for the next round of submissions for CCA 2025,” she  said.