Press Release
Andorinha Chair by Matthias Ambros Is Granted the Silver A' Design Award in Furniture Design
Matthias Ambros honored for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 19, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Andorinha Chair by Matthias Ambros, designed for Estudio Mezas, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 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 assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Silver A' Design Award Means
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
Regarding Andorinha Chair
The Andorinha embodies precision engineering and refined aesthetics. Designed for versatility and comfort, it utilizes advanced plywood molding techniques to create a seamless, lightweight structure. Its innovative backrest cut enables invisible fixation, producing a floating visual effect while ensuring durability and ergonomic support. By integrating efficiency, elegance, and Brazilian design sensibility, Andorinha delivers a sophisticated and adaptable seating solution for various spaces.
About Matthias Ambros
Matthias Ambros is a designer and architect whose work explores the intersection of material innovation, scientific concepts, and cultural narratives. With a background in Architecture and Urbanism from UFRGS, his projects span furniture design, branding, and spatial strategies, often integrating sustainable practices. He has participated in international design events such as Fuorisalone in Milan, contributing to the dialogue between contemporary design and long-term value creation. His practice emphasizes research, functional solutions, and the connection between design and societal needs.
Award Record
Matthias Ambros is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
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/168775
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/168775
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!168775
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/358776
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/42VyWZX
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
- Andorinha Chair
- Function
- Chair
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Gray, Dark Gray, Dim Gray, Saddle Brown and Peru
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Estudio Mezas
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Matthias Ambros
- Country
- Brazil
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #168775
Credits
- Image Credits
- Estudio Mezas
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Andorinha blends engineering precision and contemporary aesthetics. Designed for versatility, it employs innovative plywood molding techniques to achieve a seamless, lightweight structure. The floating backrest design, made possible by an invisible fixation technique, enhances both visual elegance and ergonomic support. With a balance of efficiency, comfort, and adaptability, the Andorinha offers a refined seating solution suited for diverse environments.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the graceful flight of swallows, the Andorinha represents lightness, adaptability, and connection. The design prioritizes ergonomic excellence and production efficiency, leveraging advanced plywood molding to create a floating backrest. The precise backrest cut allows for seamless integration, ensuring both structural integrity and refined aesthetics while embodying Brazilian design sensibility.
- Research
- The Andorinha was developed through user-centered research to create a versatile, ergonomic, and lightweight chair. Methods included interviews, surveys, sketch analysis, and prototyping. A 16-question survey with a São Paulo furniture store gathered insights on users, aesthetics, and production. The key breakthrough was the floating backrest, achieved through a hidden plywood molding technique, ensuring structural integrity and visual lightness.
- Challenge
- The Andorinha tackled challenges in innovation, feasibility, and concept. Its floating backrest required a new two-stage plywood molding to conceal structural elements. CNC-bent steel and laser-welded joints ensured efficiency. Limited data on advanced molding demanded extensive prototyping. Rooted in Brazilian design, it drew from the 2024 RS floods, symbolizing resilience. The name Andorinha (Swallow) reinforces its lightness, adaptability, and comfort
- Realization and Technology
- The Andorinha was developed using a holistic design methodology, incorporating user research, AI-driven form exploration, and hand-drawn sketches. The tubular steel structure is CNC bended and laser-welded, ensuring precision and durability. The seat and backrest are plywood-molded, while the backrest features an innovative two-stage molding process, embedding a hidden structural element within the plywood, achieving seamless integration, superior strength, and a floating aesthetic.
- Operation and Interaction
- The Andorinha is designed for effortless comfort and adaptability. The floating backrest provides natural postural support, while the curved plywood seat enhances comfort and ergonomics. The lightweight frame ensures easy handling, and its seamless design, free from visible joints, creates a clean, elegant aesthetic. A hidden structural innovation strengthens the chair without added bulk, ensuring both durability and visual lightness.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project began in late 2023 with initial interviews, followed by conceptual studies in January 2024. The first prototype was produced in March 2024, with further refinements leading to the final prototype in June 2024. It will be exhibited at Fuorisalone 2025 in April as part of its official launch.
- Specifications
- Andorinha – Technical Specifications Dimensions: 550 mm (W) x 600 mm (D) x 820 mm (H) Weight: 5 kg Structure: CNC bending tubular steel, laser-welded Seat and Backrest: Precision-molded plywood Backrest Innovation: Two-stage molding process with an internal structural element embedded within the plywood, ensuring seamless fixation and enhanced strength.
- Keywords
- Chair, plywood molding, ergonomic design, lightweight chair, Brazilian design, seamless fixation
