Formica Corporation Announces Call for Entries in Seventh Annual FORM Student Innovation Competition

Competition invites design and architecture students to share interpretations of “newstalgia” in furniture designs

CINCINNATI, Sept. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Formica Corporation today announces the opening of the 2024 FORM Student Innovation Competition. Now in its seventh year, this annual competition invites architecture and interior design students in the U.S., Canada and Mexico to showcase their creativity through original furniture designs that feature Formica^® Brand products. 

This year, Formica reflects on 110 years of Formica^® with a challenge that asks students to submit a color rendering and project statement of a furniture design that interprets “newstalgia” — a trending aesthetic that blends retro and vintage design with a fresh, modern take. Through their design, students are asked to use their creativity when defining what “newstalgia” means to them, bridging classic with new.

Within their designs, students must include two or more Formica^® Laminate patterns and at least one color of FENIX^® Innovative Materials. Each entrant will have the chance to win cash prizes and national recognition, including the opportunity to have their work showcased at NeoCon 2024, the leading design event for commercial interiors. The competition is open from Sept. 6, 2023, through March 8, 2024, with winners announced in May 2024. A distinguished panel of industry and design professionals will judge the student submissions. 

“Each year, we continue to be impressed by the sheer creativity and innovative thinking of the next generation of designers,” said Meghan Howell, North American design and creative director at Formica Corporation. “This year’s competition feels especially significant as we reflect on our 110 years of design, and we’re excited to see how students bring the influences of these decades into their designs.”  

The grand prizewinner will receive a $2,000 cash award and their design will be fabricated and displayed during NeoCon 2024 in Chicago. The second-place winner will be awarded $1,000 and the third-place winner will receive $500. The top three winners also will be invited to attend NeoCon as guests of Formica Corporation for the opportunity to network with industry professionals and get a taste of the design community.

Inspired By Design Industry Legends
Now in its seventh year, the annual FORM Student Innovation Competition continues to grow as more students submit their inventive and thought-provoking designs. The current iteration of FORM is inspired by a challenge Formica held in 2008, when the company invited design greats — including Jaime Velez, Zaha Hadid, Michael Graves, Bernard Tschumi and Massimo Vignelli, among others — to create works of art from Formica^® Brand products. Their designs, which ranged from domestic pieces to conceptual sculptures, were then exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.

In the spirit of the original challenge, the 2024 FORM Student Innovation Competition invites the next generation of designers to express their creativity in these original furniture designs, showing attention to detail, inventive design and a unique point of view. 

Entries Now Open
Entries will be accepted Sept. 6, 2023, through March 8, 2024. Competition submissions can be emailed to [email protected]. For more information, including complete competition details, resources and rules, visit formica.com/studentcompetition. 

About Formica Corporation
Founded in 1913, Formica Corporation, part of the Broadview Holding family of companies, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. For more information about Formica Corporation, its products, special programs and promotions, visit www.formica.com or call 1-800-FORMICA™.

About Broadview Holding
Based in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, Broadview is a holding company that pursues long-term growth and value creation through active support of its operating companies. Broadview’s family of businesses covers two industry clusters: Energy and Material Technology. Broadview’s Material Technology businesses include Arpa, Trespa, Formica Group, Westag, Homapal and Direct Online Services. With combined sales of EUR 1.2 billion and 6,000 employees, this cluster has a global leading position in the market for surface materials.

About Formica Group
Formica Group is a global group of companies consisting of Formica Canada Inc., Formica Corporation, Formica de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Formica IKI Oy, Formica Skandinavien AB, Formica Limited, Formica S.A., Formica S.A.S., Formica Taiwan Corporation, Formica (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Formica (Asia) Ltd., Formica Decorative Materials (China) Co., Ltd. and Homapal GmbH, among others.

Please Note:
Formica^® and the Formica^® Anvil Logo are registered trademarks of The Diller Corporation. 1-800-FORMICA™ is a trademark of The Diller Corporation. All rights reserved. ©2023 The Diller Corporation.

FENIX^® is a registered trademark of ARPA Industriale S.P.A.

Contact:
Emma Mazour 
Carmichael Lynch Relate 
612-375-8532  
[email protected] 

SOURCE Formica Corporation