Press Release
Mısra Ozel Is Honored with the Silver A' Design Award for Altered Heritage Bench in Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design
Mısra Ozel honored for cultural heritage and culture industry design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design category for Altered Heritage Bench by Mısra Ozel, designed for Glif. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 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.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
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.
About Altered Heritage Bench
This sculptural bench originates from parts of a damaged Italian console dating back to the early 20th century. Rather than restoring the missing sections, the design reinterprets the fragmented form through bold material interventions. Hand-carved beechwood is combined with Rosso Levanto marble and satin stainless steel to create a hybrid composition. The result is a functional seat that retains traces of its historical origin while presenting itself as a contemporary collectible object.
Award Record
This recognition makes Mısra Ozel a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design Award
The A' Cultural Heritage Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good designs that preserve, protect, and promote cultural heritage. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to cultural heritage designers, culture industry professionals, cultural heritage specialists and museum designers from all countries. Typical entries include cultural heritage projects, cultural conversation, preservation and restoration and protection projects. The awarded cultural heritage designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/cultural-heritage
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is 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. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously 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. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which 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, uploading a work and receiving a 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. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/175343
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/175343
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!175343
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/371588
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
- Altered Heritage Bench
- Function
- Bench
- Category
- Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Arts and Social Impact
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Glif
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Mısra Ozel
- Country
- Turkiye
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #175343
Credits
- Team
- Mısra Özel, Aslıhan Öztürkoğlu and Doğancan Uysal
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- “Altered Heritage” reinterprets parts of a damaged and incomplete Italian console from the early 20th century (1900–1950s). Instead of restoring it to its original condition, the design embraces its fragmented state and reimagines it into a sculptural bench. Combining hand-carved beechwood with Rosso Levanto marble and satin stainless steel, the piece balances historical integrity with bold material contrasts. The result is a hybrid form that functions as a bench while asserting itself as a collectible, gallery-level design object.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the concept of Altered Heritage, this collectible bench reimagines how memory and material can merge into a sculptural and functional object. It originated from the idea of building a dialogue between historical fragments and contemporary interventions. The design invites reflection on how inherited objects can be reborn through bold gestures, new materials, and precise craftsmanship—bridging past and present in one unique edition.
- Research
- Type of Research: Practice-based design experimentation Objectives: To explore how fragmented antique elements can be redefined through contemporary materials Methodology: Archival analysis, prototyping, hands-on material testing Data Tools: Mid-century furniture catalogues, material resistance tests Participants: Design team, woodworkers, metal and stone artisans Results: A one-of-a-kind collectible bench bridging historical memory with bold formal intervention Insights: Respecting heritage doesn't require restoration—it can mean transformation Impact: Promotes reinterpretation of cultural artifacts through design rather than conservation
- Challenge
- The greatest challenge was balancing respect for the object’s historical integrity while applying radical material and formal interventions. Technically, reconciling aged wood with heavy contemporary elements without compromising structure required extensive prototyping and creative engineering. Conceptually, transforming memory into bold expression without pastiche was key.
- Realization and Technology
- The bench operates as a seating unit but is also intended to be experienced as a sculptural centerpiece. While the user interacts by sitting, the piece transcends ordinary use through its dramatic silhouette, contrasting materials, and curated material composition. It invites users to engage visually and spatially, establishing a contemplative interaction with heritage and contemporary form.
- Operation and Interaction
- The bench is designed to be used as a functional seating object while also serving as a sculptural centerpiece. The user engages with it by sitting, but its bold form and contrasting materials invite visual exploration as much as physical use. It does not transform mechanically, but redefines the act of sitting through its expressive presence and curated material story.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in May 2025 in Istanbul and finished in July 2025 in Istanbul.
- Specifications
- Width: 150 cm Seat Height: 52 cm Backrest Height: 85 cm Materials: Beechwood (reclaimed), stainless steel (satin finish), Rosso Levanto marble Techniques: CNC metal processing, TIG welding, manual wood restoration, stone carving
- Keywords
- Altered heritage, collectible design, sculptural bench, vintage revival, stainless steel furniture, reinterpreted furniture, contemporary heritage, one of a kind design, design art object
