From coastal buildings to schools and interiors, this year’s winners show how colour is being used with greater intent to shape experience, identity and performance across projects.
The winners of the 2026 Resene Total Colour Awards were announced in late March at the New Zealand Maritime Museum, offering a broad view of how colour is being used across architecture and design today.
Across categories spanning residential, education, commercial and civic projects, a consistent direction emerges. Colour is no longer treated as a final layer. Instead, it is being used early and deliberately, shaping how spaces are read, navigated and experienced.
At the centre of the awards is Resene, marking its 80th year, alongside a judging panel including Sylvia Sandford, John Walsh and LauraGrace McFarland. Their selections highlight projects where colour is integrated into the architectural thinking itself.
A number of practices within the ArchiPro network are represented across this year’s awards, contributing to a collective body of work that reflects a growing confidence in how colour is used to shape space, identity and experience.
Roseman | Sunday Architects
Roseman | Sunday Architects
Resene Total Colour Residential Interior Colour Maestro Award
This project uses: Resene New York Pink, Red Oxide, Apple Blossom, Florentine Pink, Beryl Green, Despacito, Beethoven, Contour, Cashmere, Quarter Biscotti, Sakura, Tom Thumb and Tulip Tree.
Te Whare Awhi Ora | MODE Design
Te Whare Awhi Ora | MODE Design
Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Public & Retail Space Tone-e Award
This project uses: Resene Celebrate, Ecstasy, Palm Green, Highland and Avocado.
Taken together, the 2026 winners reflect a broader shift in how colour is understood. It is no longer decorative, but spatial. It influences how architecture performs, how users move through space and how environments support different modes of occupation.
As projects become more considered and context-driven, colour is emerging as one of the most flexible tools available to designers, capable of shaping both atmosphere and function.
