World Market Center Las Vegas reported that the judges were impressed by the three finalists in the "One Good Chair: Fit Right Here" Design Competition.
Competition and jury chair Lance Hosey said the judges opted to award each finalist $2,000 rather than choosing one $5,000 grand prize winner because there was so much debate about the merits of all three chairs.
The purpose of the competition was to create an iconic eco-chair representing a region-specific design. When people consider the Adirondack chair or the Barcelona chair, concrete images come to mind. “One Good Chair” challenged designers to create a chair that’s expressive of their own favorite environment.
Winners include the following:
Andrej Blazon, Movo Mesto, Slovenia: “The Charity Chair.” This chair is made of recycled/recyclable materials and its Escher-like shape is inspired by the cornets worn by the Daughters of Charity order (i.e. a nun’s hat).
Azul Cadenas, Miami Shores, Florida: “BAMTAK Chair.” This chair pays homage to the chaise lounges in which Argentinians sit during “asados,” or barbecues. Made of bamboo found near the Delta River in Buenos Aires, this chair is a more compact version of the traditional chaise, aimed at urbanites looking to lounge without taking up too much real estate.
Helene Cany, Cambrai, France: “Sediliegi Chair.” Designed to evoke the sensibilities of Turin, the Sediliegi was inspired by the seats in Fiats and Ferraris (both made in Turin). Made of molded cork, with seating for two people, the lounge chair is easy to transport and a comfortable spot from which to gaze at the Alps.
"We were pleased to see a range of entries from all over the world," Hosey said. He added that this year’s program emphasized regional traits and indigenous materials as well as conservation of resources, including even scrap materials.
Hosey, an architect and author of The Shape of Green: Aesthetics, Ecology, and Design, is also a contributing editor with Architect magazine, where he writes the monthly “ecology” column.
Each of the three winning chairs will be on exhibit during September Las Vegas Market through September 17. Patagonia Legacy and Piper Plastics worked to manufacture the prototypes.
Judges also awarded Honorable Mention and two semifinalists.
Honorable Mention went to a Chopstick/Steamer stool, designed by Ryan Horsman, Jason Dembski Advisors: Mary-Ann Ray and Robert Mangurian. This chair took cues from the Chinese culture, and re-used traditional, everyday items (dumpling steamers and chopsticks and other materials), fashioning them into a piece of furniture.
The semi-finalists included:
Susan Drescher’s Sling chair, manufactured by Patagonia Legacy, was created from trees that fall naturally in the United States due to storm and disease.
The XVIIIE chair, designed by Brian Novello Benjamin Bakas and Muhammad Hussain evokes images of Paris’ 18th Arrondissement Montmartre, where you can visualize it resting comfortably among French box easels and folios, surrounded by tourists and French artists.
In addition the awards announcements, a panel discussion also took place. Moderated by Lance Hosey, on-site judges and panelists include Roger Thomas, Executive Vice President, Wynn Design & Development; Susan Szenasy, Editor in Chief, Metropolis Magazine; Margaret McCurry, Principal, Tigerman McCurry Architects; and Michelle Addington, Associate Professor of Architecture, Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University.
During the discussion, Margaret McCurry said that each prototype is just the beginning. McCurry pointed out each chair had to address issues surrounding design, comfort and seat ability. Now that the prototypes are made these issues can be more deeply explored.
The judges also discussed topics like how seating comfort may be different for men and women, depending on the chair. Another discussion honed in on fabric issues. When dealing with outdoor seating many considerations must be taken, including whether or not a fabric will wear in the rain.
Judge Michelle Addington spoke about handsome chairs with graceful lines, while Roger Thomas of Wynn Design and Development praised chairs that had elegant solutions, and discussed the power that a simple change in color can have. One chair was friendly and elegant in white and ominous and frightening in black. "In one form with a simple change of color can have a completely different presentation,” said Thomas.
Winners and select entries will be featured in industry publications such as www.ecofabulous.com and other media outlets, as well as Hosey’s forthcoming book, The Shape of Green: Aesthetics, Ecology, and Design. All finalists are featured on the competition website and public exhibitions.
The competition and reception is a part of World Market Center’s Brave New World Environmental Leadership Series.
Visit www.onegoodchair.com, www.LasVegasMarket.com or www.sustainablefurnishings.org for more information.
Detailed information on the winners and 20 semi-finalists can be located at onegoodchair.com.
The judges of One Good Chair represent a cross section of renowned designers, researchers and academics with specific expertise in eco-friendly design. They used the following process to select finalists:
Each judge chose 10 favorite entries and gave them numeric scores. Ranking theses scores determined 20 semifinalists, including the 3 finalists. Metropolis magazine and ecofabulous.com are the program's media sponsors.
The competition also included a People's Choice Award this year. The public has spoken, and the answer is “BAMTAK.” That’s the name of Azul Candenas’ chair, which unseated the competition in the People’s Choice Award for the One Good Chair: Fit Right Here design competition. The BAMTAK chair took 51 percent of the vote when the public was polled last week on treehugger.com. For the first-ever People’s Choice Award winner, which voters got to weigh in on last week at treehugger.com, Candenas’ BAMTAK chair unseated the others with 51 percent of the votes, followed closely by the Charity Chair with 25 percent and Sediliegi Chair with 24 percent.
About World Market Center Las Vegas
World Market Center Las Vegas is an integrated home and hospitality contract furnishings showroom and trade complex. The state-of-the-art campus showcases furniture, decorative accessories, gift, lighting, area rugs, home textiles and related segments, as well as the Las Vegas Design Center (LVDC), now open daily to consumers along with their designers. World Market Center currently hosts the preeminent Las Vegas MarketTM biannually in February and September. World Market Center will debut InspireDesignTM in February 2010 for manufacturers and companies serving the hospitality design marketplace. And Gift + HomeTM show launches in June 2010, catering to the gift, decorative accessory and seasonal industries along with Vegas KidsTM which will provide youth furniture, juvenile products, toy and game, children’s books, children’s apparel and gift. For more information on World Market Center Las Vegas, visit www.LasVegasMarket.com.