Tristan Du Plessis, DJ Black Coffee scoop Best Suite Award at Ahead MEA 2022

15 Nov 2022

Local interior architect Tristan Du Plessis and DJ Black Coffee (Nkosinathi Maphumulo) won the award for Best Suite at this year's Awards for Hospitality Experience and Design (Ahead) MEA for their collaboration on the penthouse suite at Hallmark House in Johannesburg.

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The awards, organised by Sleeper, celebrate those shaping the hospitality industry through exceptional design and experience.

“Collaborating with Nathi on this suite was an amazing experience and we went into it with the intention of celebrating South African creativity. So this award is an amazing validation of the immense talent of the creatives we worked with to bring the suite to life, and it goes far beyond what we expected from this collaboration.

"We are immensely grateful to be recognised on a global stage and to be in good company,” said Du Plessis.

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The music-inspired suite competed against some of the best luxury properties in the region including LUX* Grand Baie Resort & Residences, Mango House Seychelles, and The Dubai Edition, UAE.

'All dreams are possible'

“Stretching myself creatively in a different sphere was an amazing challenge, and co-creating with Tristan was an incredible first foray into the world of design," said Black Coffee.

"With the suite as a tangible manifestation of the South African dream realised, I couldn’t be prouder that we have won this award. It reiterates my belief that all dreams are possible for the African child.”

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The two-bedroom penthouse features a gym, cinema room, bespoke handcrafted furniture by local and international designers, and two open-plan living spaces. Featuring artwork from Nelson Makomo, flooring by MOOOI x African ginger, and custom soft furnishings by designer MaXhosa, it incorporates African talent at each touchpoint.