Dulux Colour Awards 2025

"This operations hub redefines the depot typology in numerous ways, and the use of colour across its perforated-steel exterior plays a key role. It places what would otherwise read as a significant building mass gently in the landscape, quietly signaling the client’s core value of creating infrastructure for sustainable longevity. In response to its civic, industrial, natural and memorial contexts, the façade’s pleated steel screen envelops the building, curving around retained tree canopies and blending with the native landscape throughout the cemetery. Graduated greens shifting across the concertina folds project a softness that belies the inherent strength of the substrate, and the way that light plays upon this outer skin creates depth and dimension akin to a fine-laced veil, in contrast to the solid brick and timber structure it shields. It is a beautiful example of the potential for industrial programs to be both functional and empathetic, and the judges commend the sensitivity with which this project has been designed for those working in emotionally challenging contexts."

Andrea Lucena-Orr, DuluxGroup, judge

"It’s impossible to overstate the power of colour to elevate a mood, a project, and even a neighbourhood, and Windale Hub by Adriano Pupilli Architects fulfils this potential on all levels. The striking use of graduated colour on the façade of this much-needed community facility breathes new life into the area, providing a vibrant hub for locals as it unifies a number of essential civic services. Drawing inspiration from the cultural fabric of the neighbourhood and its natural biodiversity, the external, perforated metal screen is textured and coloured in the vivid colours of local wildflowers, which animate the façade and shift depending upon the time of day and speed at which one passes by. It is a distinctive addition to Windale’s built and social landscape – playful, intelligent and sculptural – and an exemplary study in colour perception and placemaking."

Andrea Lucena-Orr, DuluxGroup, judge