Matrix Design Ranks No. 1 in Interior Design’s 2026 International Giants List

Asian design practices strengthen their presence among the world’s leading firms

Shenzhen, China, Sept. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matrix Design, an award-winning international design practice founded in 2010, has ranked No. 1 on Interior Design magazine’s 2026 International Giants list.

Published as part of the U.S. design publication’s 49th annual Giants of Design survey, the International Giants ranking covers firms that do not maintain an office in North America and/or generate less than 25 percent of their interior design fee income from the North American market.

Matrix Design ranked first with US$66.1 million in reported interior design fees.

Headquartered in Shenzhen and Shanghai, with offices across mainland China and Hong Kong, Matrix Design operates across domestic and international markets. Its practice spans high-end residential, commercial, cultural, hospitality and workplace environments, serving clients ranging from leading real estate groups and cultural institutions to international brands.

The 2026 ranking also points to the growing presence of Asian design practices in the international market. Chinese firms took two of the top eight positions, alongside strong representation from Singapore and India, highlighting the increasing visibility of Asian design practices within the global industry.

From Residential Expertise to a Broader Design Practice

Matrix Design built its early reputation through residential and high-end living environments, developing extensive experience across large-scale residential projects in China.

In 2022, Matrix Design ranked No. 1 globally in the residential category of Interior Design’s Giants of Design survey, reinforcing a residential practice that had long formed the foundation of the firm’s growth.

Guided by its design philosophy, “Integrated Design with the End in Mind,” Matrix Design approaches projects as connected systems in which early design decisions are considered in relation to the final experience, delivery and long-term value of a space.

In recent years, the practice has expanded further into workplace, hospitality, commercial and cultural projects, applying this accumulated experience to a broader range of spatial and business challenges.

Its workplace portfolio includes headquarters and corporate environments for leading technology and consumer companies, where spatial design is increasingly expected to address more than function alone. Sustainability, organizational culture, employee experience and brand identity are becoming integral parts of the workplace brief.

Across its practice, Matrix Design has received international recognition including the iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award and Andrew Martin International Interior Design Awards, among others, and has appeared repeatedly in leading international industry rankings.

International Growth Built on Local Understanding

Matrix Design’s projects in Vietnam, including the Phu My Hung CR2 serviced apartments and CP01 commercial renovation, represent part of the firm’s growing international practice.

Rather than transferring a standardized design language from one market to another, the project team studied local patterns of living, including preferences around natural ventilation, daylight and the use of shared spaces, before developing the design response.

For Matrix Design, international expansion is therefore less about replicating projects across geographies and more about building the ability to work within different cultural, climatic and operational contexts.

“Professional experience may open the door to new markets, but long-term trust ultimately depends on the quality of what is delivered,” the Matrix Design team said.

Looking ahead, Matrix Design plans to expand its network of design centers across Southeast Asia and Europe, strengthening its capacity for local research, creative collaboration and project delivery in international markets.

London is set to become an important part of this next phase. In 2026, Matrix Design is advancing its international presence in London while developing closer connections with Europe’s design community, research networks and creative industries.

The expansion is intended not simply to increase the number of markets in which the firm operates, but to develop locally informed design and research capabilities that can respond to different cultural and market contexts.

Connecting Design, AI and Delivery

Technology has become another strategic area of development for Matrix Design.

Since 2019, the practice has continued to explore AI-driven approaches to spatial design, examining how artificial intelligence can support the creative process as well as improve design efficiency.

An AI-assisted spatial design platform incubated through Matrix Design’s investment and innovation initiatives is already being introduced into parts of the design workflow. The technology is being explored as a way to support faster visualization, improve communication between designers and clients, and allow designers to spend more time on creative judgment and decision-making.

Matrix Design is also piloting digital collaboration across the design and construction process, with the aim of improving information continuity between design development, coordination and delivery.

Together, these initiatives reflect a broader evolution in the role of the design practice — from producing spatial concepts to integrating design, technology, materials and project delivery.

Research as Part of Design Practice

Research is also becoming an increasingly important part of Matrix Design’s approach.

Matrix Institute, the firm’s professional research platform, focuses on market and design trend analysis, design strategy consulting and the exploration of emerging industry standards.

Its research connects changes in social behavior, market conditions and technology with practical questions faced by designers, developers and organizations.

In 2026, Matrix Institute is preparing its first European Design Insights Report, extending its research perspective beyond China to examine emerging design directions, industry developments and creative resources across Europe.

The initiative accompanies Matrix Design’s broader international expansion and reflects an effort to establish research capabilities alongside design practice in new markets.

A More Distributed Global Design Landscape

The 2026 International Giants ranking comes at a time when the geographic distribution of the global design industry is becoming increasingly diverse.

For Asian design practices, international recognition is only one part of that transition. The larger challenge is whether firms can maintain design quality across different sectors and cultural contexts while developing stronger international networks, research capabilities and local market knowledge.

For Matrix Design, its No. 1 position on the 2026 International Giants list represents a milestone in that longer process — one shaped not only by project scale, but by the practice’s continuing development across disciplines, technologies, research and international markets.

About Matrix Design

Founded in 2010, Matrix Design is an award-winning international design practice headquartered in Shenzhen and Shanghai, with multiple offices across mainland China and Hong Kong and projects spanning China and international markets.

Guided by its design philosophy, “Integrated Design with the End in Mind,” the practice works across high-end residential, commercial, cultural, hospitality and workplace environments, serving leading real estate groups, cultural institutions and international brands.

Matrix Design has received international recognition including the iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award and Andrew Martin International Interior Design Awards, among others, and has been repeatedly included in leading international industry rankings. In 2022, it ranked No. 1 globally in the residential category of Interior Design’s Giants of Design survey, and in 2026, it ranked No. 1 on the publication’s International Giants list.

Since 2019, Matrix Design has continued to invest in AI-driven approaches to design and new forms of digital collaboration across the design and delivery process.

Its research platform, Matrix Institute, focuses on market trends, design strategy and emerging industry standards. In 2026, Matrix Design is advancing its international presence in London and preparing its first European Design Insights Report, while planning further expansion of its design-center network across Southeast Asia and Europe.

WangGuan
brand@matrixdesign.com