Press Release
Silver A' Design Award in Furniture Design Goes to Osso Chair by Wongsun Yoo
The international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Wongsun Yoo for furniture design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 19, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category for Osso Chair by Wongsun Yoo, designed for Yoo Wongsun. The recognition forms part of 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 Osso Chair
The Osso chair captivates one's attention with its striking silhouette. The chair is both Baroque and Minimalist, with its curved beams, bent seats, and a circular backrest layers up to the back like a spine, hence, Osso. Though the joineries seem effortless, the design follows architectural principles for strength and rhythm, reminiscent of traditional Oriental architecture. In collaboration between the young designer with seasoned French cabinetmakers Brimbois, the design is elevated by applying century old techniques and finishes to new contemporary pieces.
About Wongsun Yoo
A state-certified architect with the mention "félicitations du jury" of the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris Malaquais, Yoo Wongsun has been practicing architecture within several renowned offices such as Foster+Partners, Moreau Kusunoki and Ishigami Junya. In parallel, he has been designing furniture and spaces since the age of 15 around the world. His imagination is that of an archaeologist, in search of a previous world - even primitive, as a way of rethinking everyday life and the objects that surround us. His work, from furniture to architecture, is expressed through elegant structures highlighted by meticulously crafted materials.
Award Record
Wongsun Yoo 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://designers.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://designers.org/167154
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/167154
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!167154
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/362964
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/40f8szG
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
- Osso Chair
- Function
- Chair
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Light Gray, White Smoke, Dark Gray, Dark Slate Gray and Silver
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Yoo Wongsun
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Wongsun Yoo
- Country
- Great Britain
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #167154
Credits
- Image Credits
- Wongsun Yoo
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- While the joineries appear effortless, much like bones, the framework is informed by architectural principles that enhance structural integrity while creating a visually dynamic rhythm reminiscent of traditional Oriental architecture. Rather than relying on thick, bulky materials for stability, the beams curve and interlace to form a cross-bracing structure. This allows the chair to support a concave seat that follows the contours of human anatomy, reducing pressure points compared to flat seats. The gap between the double columns at the back naturally accommodates the horizontal components, seamlessly supporting the plates and reinforcing the design's harmony.
- Inspiration
- Osso draws inspiration from traditional Oriental architecture and the natural bone structures. The design embodies principles of balance, proportion, and craftsmanship, employing wood joineries that exemplify the precision of enduring architectural techniques. The back of the chair is designed as its second façade, where the horizontal structural components come together like the bones of a spine, hence, Osso. These elements combine to create a chair that is both functional and sculptural, blending tradition with nature in a clean and harmonious design.
- Research
- The research aimed to achieve ergonomic comfort in a solid surface, offering an alternative to upholstered furniture. This led to an exploration of seat and backrest angulation, as well as a subtly curved seat plate for better anatomical support. Using VR technology, multiple prototypes were tested to refine ergonomics. In collaboration with French cabinetmakers Brimbois, locally sourced ash wood from Franche-Comte was used. A detachable 3cm upholstered plate was also developed for added versatility. Debuting at Paris Design Week 2023 at the Salon Atelier de France, the chair received valuable feedback from designers, architects, and gallery owners.
- Challenge
- The chair’s complexity lies in the precision of its joints, which meticulously connect each component. To achieve a minimal yet effortless silhouette, the design drew inspiration from bone joints where structural integrity is maintained while elements naturally interlock. This concept was expressed through the intentional exposure of rounded edges at the joinery. The prototype’s fabrication involved close collaboration with the manufacturer. Each element was individually stained before assembly, ensuring a uniform, seamless black finish across all joint points.
- Realization and Technology
- The production process bridges technology and craftsmanship. On one side, a strong focus on geometry and modularity resulted in extrusion based forms from 3 - 5cm planks of timber, that ensures a CNC manufacturing process. On the other, luxurious finishes to seamless joineries were developed in partnership with French cabinetmaker, Brimbois, bringing back century old techniques. The result is a black stained wood adds a modern, minimalist elegance while allowing the grain texture to subtly remain visible.
- Operation and Interaction
- The chair emphasises on the negative space, of the space that is left from the object. Through its open-back frame and three-legged structure, it embodies openness and lightness. The seat, following a subtle curve seems to float above the frame. This method enhances comfort while creating a striking silhouette imparting a sculptural quality to the object. This dynamic interplay of light and shadow adds depth to the surrounding space, elevating the chair not only as practical furniture but also as a refined architectural statement.
- Project Duration and Location
- The chair was designed in January 2024 and the first prototype was made in June 2024, both in Paris.
- Specifications
- Width 710mm x Depth 550mm x Height 835mm
- Keywords
- Heritage driven design, Fusion of tradition and technology, Ergonomic design, Comfortable seating, Craftsmanship, Timber structure, Sustainability
