Desafinado Bank by Cass Saldanha is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award yn Brûns in Meubelûntwerp Competition Category.
BrûnsMeubels· 2026
Desafinado Bank
Client: SAL+Co
A' Design Award yn Brûns Winner in Meubels Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180459The Design
About Desafinado Bank
Desafinado is in bank ûntwurpen as in stúdzje yn lykwicht en werhâldenens. De foarm folget Skandinavyske klearheid, mei rjochte linen en ienfâldige geometry, kombinearre mei it gewicht en de direktheid fan it Braziliaanske brutalistyske modernisme. Lege proporsjes noegje út ta in ûntspannen hâlding, en de skieding tusken sitting en rêchleuning soarget foar fisuele spanning. In bewust oerstek balansearret de sitting en de rêchleuning yn tsjinoerstelde rjochtingen. De bank is hast folslein makke fan Europeesk ikenhout mei in swarte beits, en in tin, mei de hân stikt kessen fan Braziliaansk sealslear makket de sitting kompleet.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award yn Brûns
Desafinado Bank is in winner fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns, in heech prestisjeuze erkenning foar treflike ûntwerpen dy't har ûnderskiede troch kreativiteit, fernuft en tûkens. Brûnswinners binne tige feardige en opfallend kreative artefakten dy't de grutte ûnderfining, ferbylding en betochtsumens fan har ûntwerpers befêstigje. Fan Desafinado Bank wurdt ferwachte dat it in tige heech achte, bewûndere en dierber objekt is dat opmerklik profesjoneel en ynnovatyf is. Dit winnende ûntwerp fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns yntegrearret de bêste praktiken yn keunst, wittenskip, ûntwerp en technology en is treflik om syn omtinken foar detail. Desafinado Bank foldocht behoeften prachtich, reitsjet winsken, betsjoeveret gefoelens en sprekt nijsgjirrigens oan.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The Desafinado bench is conceived as a study in balance and restraint. Rooted in Scandinavian design, it relies on simple, straight lines and clear geometry. The low-lying proportions invite a relaxed posture, while the split between back and seat creates a visual tension. An intentional overhang balances the extended seat and back to opposite directions, turning structure into function.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Materials:
Black Stained Oak
Seat in saddle leather
Dimensions:
Width: 130 inches or 39624 mm
Depth: 16 inches or 4876.8 mm
Height: 22 inches or 6705.6 mm
Seat Height: 12 inches or 3657.6 mm - Tags
- Bench, Brazilian, wood, Balance, furniture
- Production Technology
- The bench is built almost entirely from a single material: European oak. Finished with a black stain, the wood emphasizes grain, mass, and shadow. This restrained material choice reinforces the clarity of the design, allowing form, proportion, and structure to define the piece without distraction.
The bench is complemented with a thin, hand-stitched seat cushion upholstered in authentic Brazilian saddle leather forced from local small business. - Inspiration
- The piece draws from Scandinavian clarity, but it is grounded in Brazilian brutalist modernism. Its forms are direct and architectural rather than delicate or refined. The bench avoids excessive polish, embracing weight, presence, and material honesty. This subtle roughness distinguishes it from Japanese minimalism and reinforces its brutalist character.
- Project Duration
- Conceived in Miami in 2022, the project evolved through an intensive four-month prototyping phase and reached its final form in August of that year. The bench exists as a true one-of-one piece; all remaining prototypes were deliberately destroyed upon completion, reinforcing its singularity.
- Operation Flow
- Beyond simple seating, the Desafinado Bench invites multiple uses: a surface to recline or stretch, a platform for books and objects, or an architectural element that works as a space divider or low table. It shifts easily between function and presence, adapting to the way the body and the room engage with it.
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Cass Saldanha, 2022.
This design is available for reproduction. Please contact the Designer if you have interest in discuss intellectual property and licensing the rights. - Image Credits
- Cassiano Saldanha
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