Press Release
Shota Urasaki Is Honored with the Golden A' Design Award for Cloud Chair in Furniture Design
Shota Urasaki acknowledged for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2020 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Cloud Chair by Shota Urasaki, designed for Okinawa Products, has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category. The result belongs to the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Golden A' Design Award Means
The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
Regarding Cloud Chair
Cloud is a chair inspired by a rain shower seen over the coast of Okinawa Island in Japan. The seating surface is made by piercing polyester fiber into polyurethane foam with a needle, which creates a soft cloud-like appearance. A high seat gives the seated person a floating sensation. Mirror-like stainless steel legs and a pedestal are formed from thin round bars that express falling rain. The number, length and diameter of the bars were carefully determined. Cloud is handmade from stainless steel, polyester fiber, wood and polyurethane foam.
About Shota Urasaki
Shota Urasaki is a designer for Yamaha Corporation. He was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan. He works as a representative of OKINAWA PRODUCTS. He presents designs primarily inspired by nature. He makes emotional product proposals. The goal is a design that is easy to understand and fun for the viewer. Will be exhibited at salone satellite of salone del mobile in 2022.
Award Record
This recognition makes Shota Urasaki a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Furniture Design Award
The A' Furniture Design Award is an international furniture competition recognizing good furniture designs by best furniture designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to furniture designers, product designers, industrial design studios and furniture brands from all countries. Entries typically include chairs, tables, sofas, beds, cabinets and shelves. Awarded furniture designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/furniture
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/103921
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/103921
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!103921
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/275875
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Cloud Chair
- Function
- Chair
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Light Gray, Lavender, Silver, Dark Slate Gray and Dark Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Okinawa Products
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Shota Urasaki
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Golden A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2019 - 2020
- Design ID
- #103921
Credits
- Image Credits
- [; Shota Urasaki, Cloud, 2019. ][; Shota Urasaki, Cloud, 2019. ]
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This is a cloud-like chair that is raining. The seating surface enables a cloud-like expression by piercing polyester fiber into the polyurethane foam with a needle. A high seat gives the seated person a floating. In addition, the mirror-like stainless steel legs and pedestal made it possible to express the rain.
- Inspiration
- The sky is connected everywhere in the world. Many people have seen clouds. A design inspired by nature will resonate with various people. I live on Okinawa Island south of Japan. One day, I saw a moving cloud while it rained on the coast. The idea of this chair came up from the scenery at that time.
- Research
- I feel like the products in the world are now uniform. Different regions have their own culture and nature. Among them, I paid attention to nature. I think of naturally inspired designs. After that, repeat the verification of the material and structure. I will announce the created design to the world and aim for commercialization. I believe that doing so will enrich the uniform world.
- Challenge
- In addition, the number, length, and diameter of stainless steel round bars that express rain were carefully determined.
- Realization and Technology
- Materials: Stainless steel, Polyester fiber, Wood, Polyurethane foam Production processes of the product: Handmade
- Operation and Interaction
- I think there are many people who have imagined when they were children that they could sit on clouds. I realized that imagination. Poetic products enrich the emotions of users. In addition, this product makes the surrounding space visually enjoyable.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in April 2019 and ended in October 2019.
- Specifications
- Width 1000 mm x Depth 900 mm x Height 600 mm
- Keywords
- nature, chair, cloud, okinawa, japan, organic
