Gold Furniture Design · 2026
Gera Chair
- A' Design Award 2026 Gold Winner in Furniture Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: Alessandra Delgado Design
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 49,427
- Verification code E094DB436E · Verify this award
About Gera Chair
Gera is a wooden design informed by Brazilian modernist furniture and the structural clarity present in the work of Geraldo de Barros. Crafted from certified Brazilian jequitiba wood and natural leather, it contains no metal components or visible fasteners. Concealed joinery preserves visual continuity, while tensioned leather surfaces respond to the body. Through material reduction, responsible sourcing, and structural precision, the work articulates an investigation into ergonomics and sustainable permanence.
Gera Chair by ALESSANDRA DELGADO represents a distinguished contribution to the contemporary dialogue between traditional craftsmanship and modernist formal restraint, embodying values of material authenticity and refined simplicity that have defined enduring furniture design traditions. The work appears to engage with the legacy of mid-century masters who elevated everyday seating to contemplative objects through careful proportion and honest material expression. Technical achievement manifests in the seemingly effortless integration of leather and wood—two materials with distinct working properties unified through meticulous construction that conceals complexity beneath apparent simplicity. The leather upholstery demonstrates remarkable control: it wraps the seat and backrest as a continuous skin, tucking seamlessly at corners and maintaining consistent tension without visible mechanical fastening, suggesting either traditional hand-stitching or innovative bonding techniques. The turned wooden legs exhibit classical tapered profiles refined to optimal visual weight, their proportions calibrated to support the broader leather mass above without appearing either delicate or heavy. Particularly noteworthy is the vertical slot piercing the upper backrest—a gesture that transforms potential visual monotony into distinctive identity while providing practical grip for repositioning. This considered detail reveals design thinking that integrates aesthetic and functional considerations organically. Thematically, the work meditates on comfort as both physical support and psychological warmth: the embracing backrest wings, the natural leather that will develop personalized patina through use, and the approachable scale collectively suggest furniture intended for daily inhabitation rather than mere display. The color relationship between leather and wood operates within a narrow tonal range, creating harmony while maintaining sufficient contrast to articulate the junction between upholstered and structural elements. Viewers might contemplate how objects designed for intimate bodily contact become repositories of human experience over time.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Gera Chair redefines solid wood seating through structural minimization. Developed exclusively with wood and leather as load-bearing systems, it eliminates metal reinforcement and visible fasteners. The tensioned leather seat operates as a structural membrane, while concealed joinery ensures load transfer and rigidity. Weighing 4 kg, the chair achieves resistance through geometry and material behavior rather than mechanical devices.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Dimensions W 525 mm x D 570 mm x H 830 mm.
Weight 4.0 kg.
The geometry was defined through ergonomic studies to ensure lumbar support and seating stability. The curved back rail follows the natural contour of the spine, while the structural proportions allow high resistance with reduced mass. The low overall weight facilitates transport, handling and spatial flexibility without compromising durability. - Tags
- Chair, Gera Chair, Wood, Dinning Chair, Wooden Chair, Sustainable materials
- Production Technology
- The chair was developed through structural reduction and load optimization studies. Certified Brazilian jequitiba was selected for its favorable density to weight ratio, fiber stability and bending resistance, allowing minimized cross sections without metal reinforcement. Mortise and tenon joints ensure axial load transfer and torsional rigidity. The seat, composed of two bonded natural leather layers, operates as a tensioned membrane fixed beneath the frame, distributing loads dynamically while maintaining a total mass of 4 kg.
- Design Challenge
- The primary challenge was achieving structural integrity through material behavior rather than reinforcement. Identifying a wood capable of sustaining reduced sections without compromising resistance led to the selection of certified jequitiba. Designing a suspended leather seat functioning as a structural membrane required extensive prototyping and geometric refinement. Achieving a 4 kg solid wood chair demanded continuous structural recalibration and concealed joinery precision.
- Project Duration
- The project started in September 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was presented as a prototype at Salone del Mobile in Milan in April 2025. Industrial development and final production adjustments were completed in May 2026 in Uba, Brazil.
- Operation Flow
- Gera Chair offers intuitive interaction. Weighing only 4 kg, it can be easily moved and repositioned. As the user sits, the leather gently adapts to body weight, enhancing comfort without adjustments or mechanisms. The curved wooden structure supports the back naturally. Comfort is achieved through the behavior of materials and form rather than mechanical systems, resulting in a simple and immediate user experience.
- Research
- This is applied design research focused on structural efficiency through material minimization. The objective was to develop a lightweight, durable chair using only wood and leather as load-bearing systems. Methodology included iterative prototyping, ergonomic validation and material performance testing. Results demonstrate that geometry and tensioned leather behavior can replace mechanical components, achieving structural stability at 4 kg. The research advances sustainable, repairable furniture production through reduction-based design logic.
- Inspiration
- Gera Chair originates from an investigation into structural reduction in Brazilian modernism, particularly the constructive clarity found in the work of Geraldo de Barros. The project explores how geometry, proportion and material logic can generate resistance and comfort without auxiliary mechanisms. Rather than referencing form, the design references structural intelligence, translating modernist principles into a contemporary reduction-based seating system.
- Image Credits
- Photografer Alessandra Delgado Design, 2025
- Patents
- pendind patent number