Cardboard Cathedral win NZ book design prize

The book that ruled them all at the PANZ Book Design Awards 2015 was Cardboard Cathedral by Andrew Barrie which won the best illustrated and best typography categories of the awards for designer Janson Chau and publisher Auckland University Press.

"Contemporary seems an obvious word when talking about Cardboard Cathedral but this possibly overused description is completely appropriate here," said international guest judge Miriam Rosenbloom, creative director of Australian publisher Scribe. "Dive beneath the high-gloss jacket to discover the bold de-bossed and foiled type on the case which sets the standard for the rest of the book. Certainly the clever paper stock selection is the possible hero of the book, but every hero needs a side-kick and the typographic design of Cardboard Cathedral makes for a pretty dynamic duo."

Cardboard Cathedral then went on to win the Gerard Reid Award for Best Book against competition from finalists in other categories. "In a year of strong entries Cardboard Cathedral stood out right from the start with its strong, bold design full of confidence and delicate touches," said convening judge Cameron Gibb, creative director of neu design[graphic].

Completing the judging panel were 2014's PANZ Young Designer of the Year, Kalee Jackson and director of Tangible Media, Vincent Heeringa.

Two children's books were also winners. I Am Doodle Cat designed by Lauren Marriott for Beatnik Publishing won the best children's book award. The judges appreciated its bright, engaging colour palette supported by hand-rendered text integrating with the playful illustrations

The Curioseum: Collected Stories of the Odd & Marvellous won the best cover award for designer Sarah Laing and Te Papa Press. "A great example of how a children's book need not be childish," said Cameron Gibb. "The Curioseum is the story version of a 'wunderkammer', supported by delightful illustrations and the use of hand-rendered type for chapter headings, all making for an engaging and fun read."

The best non-illustrated book award selected by the judges was The Critic's Part: Wystan Curnow Art Writings 1971 - 2013, designed by Alice Bonifant and a joint publication by Victoria University Press, Adam Art Gallery and IMA. Kalee Jackson noted "This book of art writing stood out to the judges for its well-executed typography and consistently considered design throughout... the overall impression is of restraint and a balance of classic and contemporary typographic influences dealt with calmly and confidently."

Meariki: The Quest for Truth is a graphic novel and winner of the best educational book (pictured above). Designed by Shannon Jahnel Lanktree and a collaboration by Huia Publishers and Ministry of Education, "Meariki uses many devices well to create a visually engaging read: the illustrations are rich and intricate," said Vincent Heeringa. "Colour reinforces the sense of drama and the range of characters is imaginative - who doesn't like spider-riding zombie witch queens?"

Kiwis love their cookbooks, and four high profile finalists contested the best cookbook award this year. But the judges could only choose one, and the 2015 winner was Al Brown's Depot: The Biography of a Restaurant designed by Gary Stewart and a Random House publication.

"Depot sets out to tell a story about the restaurant and the design helps achieve that admirably," said Kalee Jackson. "Colour plates feel integrated into the book as a whole, shifting seamlessly from hero shots, to sketch, to restaurant ephemera, adding to the sense of narrative rather than a simple catalogue of recipes. This book would wear in well, the inevitable splashes and smudges accumulated through kitchen use would add to its charm."