Press Release
Maria Armchair by Alexandre Kasper Receives the Silver A' Design Award in Furniture Design
The international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Alexandre Kasper for furniture design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Maria Armchair by Alexandre Kasper, designed for CGS Móveis, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category. The recognition forms part of 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 scored 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.
About Maria Armchair
The Maria Armchair is a product crafted with care and attention, consolidating Brazilian design and carrying a genuinely national name. Its design emphasizes ergonomics and comfort, combined with the precision of CNC machining and refined handcrafted finishing. Its uniqueness lies in the harmony between sculptural forms and balanced proportions, conveying lightness without sacrificing robustness, resulting in an authorial and timeless piece.
About Alexandre Kasper
Alexandre Kasper, a renowned Brazilian architect and product designer, has been shaping the furniture market with his innovative creations for over a decade. With a career marked by excellence, Kasper has garnered numerous prestigious awards, including the A’ Design Award, the European Design Award, and national honors such as the Museu da Casa Brasileira Award, the Brasil Design Award, and the Museu do Objeto Brasileiro Prize. Kasper’s work has been showcased on international stages such as the Salone del Mobile (Isalone) and ICFF, cementing his global recognition.
Award Record
This recognition makes Alexandre Kasper a winner of 4 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2020 - 2021 to 2025 - 2026 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
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/176109
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/176109
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!176109
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/291681
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://cgsmoveis.com.br/
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
- Maria Armchair
- Function
- Armchair
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Images
- 5
- Client
- CGS Móveis
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Alexandre Kasper
- Country
- Brazil
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #176109
Credits
- Image Credits
- Oly Junior Marcos Fertonani Alexandre Kasper
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Maria rmchair is the result of a process that combines artisanal tradition with contemporary technology. Its design enhances ergonomics and comfort, paired with the precision of cnc machining and refined handcrafted finishing. Its uniqueness lies in the harmony between sculptural forms and balanced proportions, conveying lightness without sacrificing robustness. Noble materials and thoughtful construction choices justify its timelessness and singular quality, establishing it as a distin.
- Inspiration
- The Maria armchair was born from the desire to create a piece that is both a refuge and a presence. Conceived around comfort, it takes on a role of satisfaction within the environment, transforming the living room into a space of welcome and pause. Its robust and embracing design invites immediate rest, evoking the feeling of being at home, in harmony with those we love. Crafted in solid wood, inspired by the tradition of Brazilian carpentry, the piece combines technological innovation with art
- Research
- The research for the Maria armchair was exploratory, aiming to combine comfort, affection, and sophistication. The methodology included ergonomic analysis, proportion testing, and the study of Brazilian carpentry. Data were collected through cnc prototyping, manual evaluations, and user interviews. Artisans and potential consumers participated. The result was a robust yet welcoming design that merges tradition and innovation. Its impact extends to the authorial furniture market, cultural appreciation, and the promotion of well-being at home.
- Challenge
- The greatest challenge of the Maria Armchair was balancing aesthetic robustness with genuine comfort. The focus was on adjusting the padding to the ideal amount, ensuring ease of use and a welcoming feel. The chair needed to convey and deliver comfort, which required successive ergonomic refinements, cuts, and stitching aligned with the product’s language. In addition, challenges of CNC machining and sustainable material selection were overcome, merging tradition and innovation.
- Realization and Technology
- The Maria armchair is crafted from solid wood machined on 5-axis cnc, ensuring dimensional precision and production consistency. Structural joints employ reinforced traditional dowels and fittings, preserving artisanal integrity. The manual finishing with fine sanding enhances the natural texture of the wood. The upholstery uses a goose-feather–like fiberfill, a sustainable choice that maintains environmental appeal while delivering the same comfort and ergonomics.
- Operation and Interaction
- The Maria armchair was designed to offer an intuitive and immediate experience: simply sit and feel the ergonomic fit and the embrace of its soft padding. Its welcoming design encourages a relaxed posture and invites prolonged rest, creating a sense of well-being in the space. It stands out for the balance between structural robustness and visual lightness, ensuring superior comfort and a striking presence in any environment.
- Project Duration and Location
- The Maria Armchair project began in January 2024 in Medianeira, Paraná, Brazil, with the development of the concept and prototyping. It was completed in September 2024 after stages of CNC machining, technical refinements, and handcrafted finishing. The piece was officially launched in April 2025 in Milan, Italy, during the Salone del Mobile, marking its debut on the international contemporary design scene.
- Specifications
- The Maria armchair measures 850 mm (width) x 820 mm (depth) x 760 mm (overall height), with a seat height of 420 mm. Its structure is made of solid wood CNC-machined and joined with reinforced dowels and fittings. Upholstery features synthetic fiberfill that mimics goose down, covered with high-resistance fabric. Packaging consists of reinforced cardboard with recycled padding, ensuring protection and safety during transport.
- Keywords
- Maria armchair, Brazilian design, contemporary carpentry, ergonomic comfort, solid wood, CNC machining, handcrafted finishing, authorial furniture, sustainability, well-being
