CHICAGO (Jan. 7, 2013) — The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design has selected tires from Hankook Tire Co. Ltd., Kumho Tire Co. Inc. and Apollo Vredestein B.V. as winners of its 2012 Good Design Award.
The firms' Winter i*cept evo (W310) winter performance, Ecsta 4X, KU22 UHP All-Season and Ultrac Vorti HP tires, respectively, were among 10 winners in the Transportation Design category and about 500 product designs and graphics overall. Entries are judged on criteria for highest aesthetic in terms of innovative design, new technologies, materials, construction, concept, energy efficiency and more.
The Chicago museum, in cooperation with the European Center for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies in Dublin, Ireland, present the awards annually. The trademarked awards were created in Chicago in 1950 by architects Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames and Edgar Kaufmann Jr.
Other Transportation Category winners included: BMW 3 Series Sedan, M5 and M6 Gran Coupe and Mini Roadster; KIA Trackster; Hyundai Azera, Sante Fe Sport and Veloster Turbo; and Boeing 747-8 intercontinental wide-body jet airliner. In addition, Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. L.L.C. earned an award for its High Performance Professional ½-inch Pneumatic Impact Wrench in the Tool Category.
Ho Youl Pae, senior vice president of marketing strategy planning division at Hankook Tire, said the selection "proves Hankook Tire's competitiveness in the global industry with leading technology, product performance and design."
The Chicago museum identified: Seung-koo Kang as the designer of the Winter i*cept evo; Rho Guck Hee and Kumho's Design and Automation Team for the Ecsta 4X; and Fabrizio Giugiaro, Giugiaro Design, Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A., for the Vredestein Ultrac.
Hankook describes its Winter i*cept evo is the flagship of its winter tire line, incorporating environmentally friendly features while still keeping style and performance. Its asymmetrical tread design reflects a polar bear's claw shape.
The contest organizers did not say how many other tire products were entered in the 2012 competition. The fee for entering a product or design in the competition is $350 per entry.