Delta Awards 2026: from Barcelona's renewed paving stone to an electric boat
The ADI-FAD association recognizes design that improves existing products
BarcelonaIt is a time of containment and reflection in the field of design, as can be seen until September 6 at DHub in the exhibition of the winning projects of the 43rd edition of the Delta Awards 2026, promoted by the Industrial Design Association of FAD (ADI-FAD). "A widespread concern in design is to make small improvements to existing objects, not to create new needs –points out Jordi Blasi, designer and board member of ADI-FAD–. The awarded projects are not distinguished by aesthetics nor are they elitist, but rather they fulfill a social function".
The exhibition, which will run until September 6, includes more than 200 projects distributed in eleven categories. Eleven objects have received the Delta d'Or and seventeen objects the Delta de Plata. Among the electrical appliances, the winner is Flora, a very light autonomous oceanic station for wind farms that monitors avifauna by radar. In the field of mobility, the winner is the electric boat Zephyr 900 Eco, designed by I-MAS and produced by Searebbel. And, in the outdoor equipment category, the highest recognition has gone to the Oasis shading system, by the Eurecat Foundation and Denvelops Textiles.
Regarding innovation in urban materials, the winning design is the Panot del Segle XXI, the redesign of the iconic Barcelona tile by the R&D department of the company Breinco. One of the novelties it includes is that it is made with 40% recycled aggregates and a draining installation. Furthermore, the new design is 100% recyclable, is made with regional materials and reduces acoustic pressure by 19%.
In the field of industrial tools, the winner is the highly ergonomic mixer M14110V Mixer, designed by the Lucid studio at the request of the Bellota brand. In this edition, the winner in the category of design for the body is aimed at animals; it is the Easy Bloc 2.0 anatomical hoof for the care of livestock injuries, designed by Oiko Design Office at the request of the company Ankapodoll.
The renovation of furniture in retirement homes
In the interior equipment category of the Delta awards, Emiliana Design Studio has triumphed with a collection of inclusive furniture driven by Fiatc Residències that injects beauty into furniture for the elderly or those with reduced mobility. In the design for food category, the gold has gone to a stackable cookware set by Lluscà Design Barcelona produced by Isogona. And, in the lighting category, the jury has recognized the Nebra lamp, designed by the Cenlitros studio for the company Emotional Light. The peculiarity of this lamp is that, with very few materials, it fulfills a dual function: that of a direct light and an evoker of the Atlantic mist. In the field of packaging, the winning work is Brute, a reusable artisanal glass bottle as a decorative element, designed by Dsigntank and produced by ESTAL Packaging.
In the awards list, there is still room for the most groundbreaking design. ADI-FAD has created for this edition a category of objects that lie between craftsmanship and art: Disueño, in homage to the industrial design competition held between 1977 and 1979. The winner has been Antoni Arola for Metalamp, a methacrylate lamp-sculpture with which Arola explores the reflection and decomposition of light.
The list of awards also includes a prize awarded by the members, the Opinion award, which has gone to the Pilatus line of pet accessories, by Sebastian Alberdi, produced by the Füür brand. The leash and harness in this collection have the unique feature of being made from recycled hoses from Barcelona firefighters. The board of directors of ADI-FAD has awarded a lifetime achievement award to the company Roca for the ability of its designs to "transform habits, respond to new needs, and redefine people's relationship with the spaces they inhabit".