Formation L'armoire by Oliver Bowien is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award de Fer in Design de Mobilier Competition Category.

FerMobilier· 2022

Formation L'armoire

by Oliver Bowien

Client: Scala Luxury

A' Design Award de Fer Winner in Mobilier Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #128647

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The Design

About Formation L'armoire

Le Cabinet de Formation peut servir de coffre de chambre, de buffet ou d'unité de divertissement. Il y a 5 portes et 2 tiroirs recouverts de peau de chèvre et s'ouvrant dans des directions différentes, certains d'entre eux s'ouvrant de manière unique. Le boîtier est fini dans une résine de cristal brillante polie à la main et les pieds en métal sont plaqués en nickel poli. L'aspect sculptural se manifeste dans la forme du revêtement et des pieds, tandis que la sophistication découle de la composition des éléments et de l'utilisation des matériaux.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Fer

Formation L'armoire est lauréat de l'A' Design Award de Fer, une reconnaissance prestigieuse décernée à de bons designs qui répondent aux exigences professionnelles et industrielles attendues de créations bien conçues. Les lauréats Fer démontrent la grande compétence, la haute spécialisation, la compréhension experte et la capacité créative de leurs créateurs. Formation L'armoire est censé être une création très estimée, admirée et chérie, pratique et innovante. Ce design lauréat de l'A' Design Award de Fer intègre les meilleures pratiques de l'industrie et présente des caractéristiques techniques compétentes associées à un savoir-faire et à du talent. Formation L'armoire est respecté pour sa rigueur et est conçu pour apporter des améliorations de la qualité de vie qui contribuent à faire du monde un monde meilleur.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The Formation Cabinet can serve as a bedroom chest or sideboard, an entertainment unit or can be an inspirational concept for a customized furniture piece. There are 5 doors and 2 drawers which are mantled in goatskin and open in different directions, some of them in an very unusual way. The encasement is finished in a hand polished gloss crystal resin. The solid metal legs are polished nickel.
Dimensions & Packaging: Dimensions: W 152cm x D 43cm x H 106cm
Tags: goatskin, parchment, sculptural, cabinet, artistic, sideboard, chest
Production Technology: The design of this piece was initially created with a design and rendering software allowing to create precise 1:1 templates for the different shapes which were then manufactured and assembled by hand.

The prototypes for the legs were hand shaped from wood in a free-style hand sculpturing manner. The wooden prototypes were then used to create molds and casted in brass with a nickel-plating.
Design Challenge: The shape of this piece was supposed to be unusual, sophisticated but yet functional. Each compartment needed to be sized correctly to provide space for common articles providing easy access to the enclosed compartments, as well as more permanent storage space such as drawers. The combination of both presented design challenges to not interfere with each other. Self closing hardware was used to provide a sophisticated experience such as the slow, steady and noiseless self-closing of doors and drawers.
Research: Research conducted on how to create a center piece that is sculptural, unique in shape while utilizing sophisticated building methods and precious materials. A great deal of time was spent pondering how to create a fully functional interplay of these criteria's. Extensive experiments were conducted on how to shape the legs and integrate them in to the body as well as how to combine all elements allowing each of them having different but yet harmonizing materials.
Inspiration: The inspiration for this piece came from one of the nine components that are currently present in this piece which initially were created for a completely different purpose. Adding different shapes and forms with the goal of each element having its own shape and identity, but yet combine all of them in a way to create harmony and cohesiveness in a sophisticated manner.
Project Duration: The idea for this piece initiated around 2010 but was conceptualized, built and officially introduced by Scala Luxury in March of 2016.
Operation Flow: The doors and drawers of this piece open in unusual ways, opening and closing doors and drawers is meant to be a pleasant experience, due to softly self-closing mechanisms. This piece carries a secret compartment to store most personal belongings.
Team Members: Oliver Bowien