For the sixth annual AZ Awards, our intrepid jury narrowed the field from over 800 submissions, received from dozens of countries, to select just 48 finalists that stood above the rest. In addition to presenting the AZ Award winners, Azure recognized these projects, products and concepts with Awards of Merit.

When pondering the far reaches of space and the ocean’s depths, palpable similarities emerge. Ross Lovegrove’s exploration of astral-oceanic confluence resulted in an organically shaped light that floats overhead – part sea creature, part spaceship. Created for Barrisol, it’s constructed with the same material the French company uses to make stretch-foil walls and suspended ceilings. Lovegrove fashioned two layers of the translucent material over a curved aluminum frame, lit from within by LEDs, to give Manta its undulating, membrane-like quality.

Designer: Ross Lovegrove, U.K.

Manufacturer: Barrisol, France