Press Release
Folding Table by Max Niemiec Wins the A' Design Award in Furniture Design
Max Niemiec acknowledged for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 25, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Folding Table by Max Niemiec, designed for Paul Maxwell, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
Regarding Folding Table
Folding is a side table that also serves as a geometric sculpture meant to be viewed from all sides. The table is made from a single laminated hardwood slab, cut into four pieces and joined again along acute and obtuse angles, so the form appears to have been folded. Long tapered chamfers refine the faceted edges. Dowel joinery, woodworking jigs and special clamping methods are used for the assembly. The slab is folded three times, and each of the four sides presents a different view. Each dimension measures 483 mm.
About Max Niemiec
Max is a native of Texas who spent his childhood in Italy. This broad range of exposure highlighted how vast the realm of possibilities truly is. He possesses a unique style of design influenced by a passion for the aesthetics of brutalism and the methodologies of timber framing. Max is simply an individual driven by a love for design - a process filled with dreams and discoveries similar to the adventure of life itself.
Award Record
Max Niemiec 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/180622
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180622
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180622
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/360154
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
- Folding Table
- Function
- Table
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Saddle Brown, Chocolate, Light Gray, Burly Wood and Linen
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Paul Maxwell
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Max Niemiec
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180622
Credits
- Image Credits
- Brian Shumway
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This side table design is a geometric sculpture meant to be enjoyed from all sides. It is made from one laminated slab, cut and joined back together on acute and obtuse angles, to give the impression that it has been folded into a table-like form.
- Inspiration
- The objective in this design was to create something that is both simple and radically new. The design process began with experiments folding a rectangular strip of paper. After transitioning from working with the flat plane of the paper to the thick wooden slab, the incorporation of the long tapered chamfers became aesthetically necessary - one of the most delightful elements of the design.
- Research
- For this design the portion of the effort that was mathematical was far grater than in most other design projects. Although at first sight the folding table may appear elegantly simple, transforming this concept into reality was a highly complex trigonometric challenge. Each adjustment to the aesthetics required a long series of recalculations
- Challenge
- In minimalist designs a recurring challenge is finding the sweet spot between simplicity and complexity. Based on the initial design concept it was clear that the base and top of the table needed to be parallel planes. Two folds would have been the minimum to accomplish this but would have also been too simple to be interesting. Four folds would have been too complex and less structurally sound. The conclusion that this design required the slab to be folded three times provided the constraints and scope for the remainder of the design work.
- Realization and Technology
- The first step in the process is to make a laminated hardwood slab. Then the slab is cut into four pieces. The use of woodworking jigs and fixtures is necessary to cut the unusual angles and tapered chamfers. Dowel-type joinery and special clamping methods are used for the final assembly
- Operation and Interaction
- The folding table is best suited for use as a side table in an open space that provides as many unobstructed views as possible. Since it appears different from each of it's four sides, the front of the table depends on the preference of the viewer.
- Project Duration and Location
- February 2025 - September 2025
- Specifications
- Width 483 mm x Depth 483 mm x Height 483 mm
- Keywords
- folding, table, geometric, sculptural, side table, origami, taper, facet
