Skip to content
Soli Silla by João Demele

Soli Silla by João Demele is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Bronce in Diseño de Mobiliario Competition Category.


BronceMobiliario· 2026

Soli Silla

by João Demele

Client: Morada Decor

A' Design Award de Bronce Winner in Mobiliario Category

Colors

The Design

About Soli Silla

Soli es una silla diseñada para el uso cotidiano. El diseño equilibra ergonomía, ligereza visual y precisión estructural. La estructura de madera maciza está elaborada con madera de jequitibá de reforestación de origen responsable, con transiciones suaves y continuas entre patas, asiento y respaldo. El respaldo curvo está tapizado en cuero y guía la postura sin necesidad de ningún mecanismo de ajuste. Las curvas anatómicas y la espuma de alto rendimiento aportan confort. El mecanizado industrial garantiza la precisión, mientras que el acabado manual controlado preserva la integridad y la durabilidad del material.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronce

Soli Silla ha ganado el A' Design Award de Bronce, un reconocimiento sumamente prestigioso concedido a diseños sobresalientes que se distinguen por su creatividad, ingenio y astucia. Los ganadores de Bronce son artefactos ampliamente hábiles y sorprendentemente creativos que acreditan la vasta experiencia, imaginación e ingeniosidad de sus diseñadores. Se espera que Soli Silla sea un objeto muy apreciado, admirado y querido, notablemente profesional e innovador. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Bronce incorpora las mejores prácticas del arte, la ciencia, el diseño y la tecnología, y es excelente por su atención al detalle. Soli Silla satisface espléndidamente las necesidades, toca los deseos, encanta los sentimientos y atrae la curiosidad.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties
The chair explores the balance between ergonomics visual lightness and structural precision resulting in a contemporary piece with sculptural presence. Its solid wood structure features smooth and continuous transitions between legs seat and backrest highlighting craftsmanship and technical mastery. The curved leather upholstered backrest gently supports the body while precise stitching and hand finishing reinforce material integrity and the uniqueness of each piece.
Dimensions & Packaging
Width: 560 mm x Depth: 600 mm x Height: 840 mm. Height Seat: 460 mm.
Tags
Wooden chair, Sustainable design, Ergonomic chair, Contemporary furniture, Organic curves, Eco-friendly materials, Brazilian Furniture, Brazilian Culture.
Production Technology
The chair production is guided by sustainability and industrial efficiency. It uses responsibly sourced reforested Jequitiba wood and components designed to reduce waste throughout manufacturing. The seat incorporates curves that adapt to human anatomy combined with high performance foam for comfort and support. Industrial machining ensures precision and repeatability while controlled manual finishing preserves material integrity and durability.
Design Challenge
The main challenge was balancing ergonomics and form. Developing a continuous curved backrest capable of adapting to different bodies required extensive research, testing, and fine adjustments. Manufacturing the wooden structure demanded high technical precision to achieve organic forms and smooth transitions without compromising structural strength. Integrating wood and leather also required careful detailing to ensure durability, comfort, and consistent aesthetic quality in potential scaled production.
Research
This design project was developed through research into sustainable materials applied to contemporary furniture, combined with an understanding of function as an adaptive element responsive to different bodies and contexts. The design process integrated hand sketching, 3D modeling, and full-scale prototyping to refine form, structure, and ergonomics, particularly the backrest curvature. The combination of wood and leather references Brazilian modern furniture, positioning craftsmanship as the conceptual core of the object.
Inspiration
The Soli chair inspire by a synthesis of form, identity, and materiality. Its design is structured as a continuous gesture, in which seat and backrest are unified through a single curve. Each curvature is carefully dimensioned to accommodate diverse body types, reflecting the plurality of Brazilian culture. Inspired by traditional wooden furniture and natural elements such as branches and animal horns, the combination of wood and leather emphasizes material honesty, lightness, stability, and tactile comfort, enhancing the users sensorial experience.
Project Duration
The Soli chair was developed through close collaboration between designer and manufacturer with the objective of creating a chair that intuitively adapts to the human body. Completed in 2025 the project followed a rigorous development process with multiple prototypes ergonomic adjustments and formal refinements. The result is a contemporary chair that balances comfort aesthetic identity and production feasibility reflecting research collaboration and care in its creation.
Operation Flow
The chair works as a single, continuous gesture. The seat supports the body, while the curved backrest approaches like an embrace, intuitively guiding posture. There are no adjustments or mechanisms: comfort comes directly from the form itself, which naturally adapts to different body types. The wooden structure sustains this movement with lightness and stability, transforming the act of sitting into a natural, welcoming, and efficient everyday experience.
Patents
Unspecified
Team Members
João Demele – Designer

Juliano Schmidt and Rafael Schmidt – Project approval
Juliano Schmidt and Luiz Eduardo Bossardi – Execution and prototyping
Image Credits
Images developed by designer João Demele.

Sponsored

Explore Beyond Designers.org

Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

Nominate Your Work for the A' Design Award.

Nominate