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Axel Fritstående Knagerække by Ivan Levak and Iva Grgic

Axel Fritstående Knagerække by Ivan Levak and Iva Grgic is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award i Bronze in Møbeldesign Competition Category.


BronzeMøbler· 2025

Axel Fritstående Knagerække

by Ivan Levak and Iva Grgic

Client: Iva.n Design Studio

A' Design Award i Bronze Winner in Møbler Category

Colors

The Design

About Axel Fritstående Knagerække

Jo flere ting du hænger på den, jo mere stabil bliver den; det er hovedbudskabet bag dette objekt. Knageræer har meget ofte stabilitetsproblemer; jakker, frakker, sweatere osv. kan få stativet til at vippe. I Axels tilfælde brugte designerne tyngdekraften som en allieret under designprocessen, for at hjælpe brugerne med at holde det høje stativ centreret omkring dets midtakse. Axel er et produkt af høj kvalitet. Bygget af kun to elementer; en stålsamling og et massivt træben. Ganget med tre. Let at reparere, da det er håndbygget.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Bronze

Axel Fritstående Knagerække er vinder af A' Design Award i Bronze, en højt prestigefyldt anerkendelse, der tildeles enestående designs, som udmærker sig ved kreativitet, opfindsomhed og skarpsindighed. Bronzevinderne er rigeligt dygtige og påfaldende kreative artefakter, der bekræfter deres designeres store erfaring, fantasi og snilde. Axel Fritstående Knagerække forventes at være en højt estimeret, beundret og kær genstand, der er bemærkelsesværdigt professionel og innovativ. Dette design, der har vundet A' Design Award i Bronze, indarbejder bedste praksis inden for kunst, videnskab, design og teknologi og er fremragende på grund af sin sans for detaljer. Axel Fritstående Knagerække tilfredsstiller pragtfuldt behov, rører længsler, charmerer følelser og appellerer til nysgerrigheden.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
'The more items you hang on it, the more stable it gets' - is the main statement regarding this item. Coat hangers very often have stability issues; jackets, coats, sweaters etc. are leaning the hanger. In Axel's case, while designing, we used gravity as an ally - to help us keep the tall hanger centered using its mid axis. Axel is a high quality product. Made only by two elements; a steel joint and a massive wood leg. Multiplied by three. Easy to repair since it's hand built.
Dimensions & Packaging
The hanger is 170 cm tall, and the base is 44cm wide, weights 4kg and comes in a flat box which is 173cm x 9cm x 4cm.
Tags
furniture, storage, hanger, wardrobe, clothes, interior, hallway, lobby
Production Technology
Made of 3mm steel and solid 4x2cm oak wood. Minimalized and reduced to be as light as possible, which makes it also very easy to handle and move it around the house. Axel has only two main elements that by multiplication, connected by 18 screws in total, becomes a heavy duty (15 items including coats, jackets, sweaters) holder. Very easy and quick to assemble by one person and a single #3 hex key.
Design Challenge
Regarding the challenges we faced while designing, the most complex was to find balance between solid stability and making the hanger as narrow as possible so it can easily fit into small hallways and rooms.
Research
Since both of us, Iva and I, have master degrees in industrial design, after a few sketches we started doing 1:1 models in wood, cardboard, metal and plywood. Everything we could find inside and around the house during the Pandemic. While doing the design index research, we come across that a lot of existing hangers have only three 'horns' to handle the load. And they are usually pointing towards the outer rim of the vertical composition... So we decided to turn these features the other way. Pointing the 'horns' towards the inside and using the central, metal construction for extra loading spaces (making hooks for coats in the process of CNC laser cutting). Also using the middle axis for better static stability.
Inspiration
While being a student and living a modern nomadic life, there were a lot of addresses. Constant moving from one apartment to another. A lot of temporary furniture, usually from Ikea, was left in those 'homes'. We all have our favorite piece of furniture that we love to take with us when moving to a new home. Axel represents a human size item that can easily be disassembled into a flat, narrow card box and easily carried away by hands or on a bicycle. A true piece of lightweight solid furniture.
Project Duration
The project started in Zagreb, during the Covid Era. First sketches were made in 2021 and the final prototype had a premiere in Milan during Salone Del Mobile 2023.
Operation Flow
This object can be operated by one or both hands. Once unboxed, the transformation from its flat pack 2D state to the final 3D composition can be easily done with 6 metal joints for the metal core and the additional6 screws to connect the central metal joint with the wooden legs. The interaction with this object isat least two times daily. Depending on how much its user takes on and off its wardrobe.
Team Members
Ivan Levak, Iva Grgic
Image Credits
Photo by Marija Gasparija

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