Axel Pòtmanto Otònom by Ivan Levak and Iva Grgic

Axel Pòtmanto Otònom by Ivan Levak and Iva Grgic is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Bwonz in Dezayn Mèb Competition Category.

BwonzMèb· 2025

Axel Pòtmanto Otònom

by Ivan Levak and Iva Grgic

Client: Iva.n Design Studio

A' Design Award Bwonz Winner in Mèb Category

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Verified Award Winner
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Colors

The Design

About Axel Pòtmanto Otònom

Plis ou pann bagay sou li, plis li vin estab; se sa ki pwensipal deklarasyon konsènan objè sa a. Pòtmanto souvan gen pwoblèm estabilite; jak, manto, chanday elatriye ka fè pòtmanto a panche. Nan ka Axel la, pandan konsepsyon an, konseptè yo te itilize gravite kòm yon alyé, pou ede itilizatè yo kenbe pòtmanto wo a nan sant li lè y ap sèvi ak aks mitan li. Axel se yon pwodui bon kalite. Konstwi ak sèlman de eleman; yon jwenti an asye ak yon gwo janm an bwa solid. Miltipliye pa twa. Fasil pou repare paske yo monte li a men.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Bwonz

Axel Pòtmanto Otònom se yon ganyan A' Design Award Bwonz, yon rekonesans ki gen anpil prestij yo bay design ekselan ki make pa kreyativite, enjenyozite ak finès. Ganyan Bwonz yo se objè ki abil anpil e ki kreyatif nan fason ki frape, ki otantifye gwo eksperyans, imajinasyon ak debouyaj designer yo. Yo atann Axel Pòtmanto Otònom pou se yon objè anpil moun estime, admire e renmen, ki pwofesyonèl e inovatè nan fason remakab. Design sa a ki ganyen A' Design Award Bwonz enkòpore pi bon pratik nan atizay, syans, design ak teknoloji, e li ekselan pou atansyon li bay detay. Axel Pòtmanto Otònom satisfè bezwen yon fason espledid, li touche dezi, li chame santiman e li atire kiryozite.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: 'The more items you hang on it, the more stable it gets' - is the main statement regarding this item. Coat hangers very often have stability issues; jackets, coats, sweaters etc. are leaning the hanger. In Axel's case, while designing, we used gravity as an ally - to help us keep the tall hanger centered using its mid axis. Axel is a high quality product. Made only by two elements; a steel joint and a massive wood leg. Multiplied by three. Easy to repair since it's hand built.
Dimensions & Packaging: The hanger is 170 cm tall, and the base is 44cm wide, weights 4kg and comes in a flat box which is 173cm x 9cm x 4cm.
Tags: furniture, storage, hanger, wardrobe, clothes, interior, hallway, lobby
Production Technology: Made of 3mm steel and solid 4x2cm oak wood. Minimalized and reduced to be as light as possible, which makes it also very easy to handle and move it around the house. Axel has only two main elements that by multiplication, connected by 18 screws in total, becomes a heavy duty (15 items including coats, jackets, sweaters) holder. Very easy and quick to assemble by one person and a single #3 hex key.
Design Challenge: Regarding the challenges we faced while designing, the most complex was to find balance between solid stability and making the hanger as narrow as possible so it can easily fit into small hallways and rooms.
Research: Since both of us, Iva and I, have master degrees in industrial design, after a few sketches we started doing 1:1 models in wood, cardboard, metal and plywood. Everything we could find inside and around the house during the Pandemic. While doing the design index research, we come across that a lot of existing hangers have only three 'horns' to handle the load. And they are usually pointing towards the outer rim of the vertical composition... So we decided to turn these features the other way. Pointing the 'horns' towards the inside and using the central, metal construction for extra loading spaces (making hooks for coats in the process of CNC laser cutting). Also using the middle axis for better static stability.
Inspiration: While being a student and living a modern nomadic life, there were a lot of addresses. Constant moving from one apartment to another. A lot of temporary furniture, usually from Ikea, was left in those 'homes'. We all have our favorite piece of furniture that we love to take with us when moving to a new home. Axel represents a human size item that can easily be disassembled into a flat, narrow card box and easily carried away by hands or on a bicycle. A true piece of lightweight solid furniture.
Project Duration: The project started in Zagreb, during the Covid Era. First sketches were made in 2021 and the final prototype had a premiere in Milan during Salone Del Mobile 2023.
Operation Flow: This object can be operated by one or both hands. Once unboxed, the transformation from its flat pack 2D state to the final 3D composition can be easily done with 6 metal joints for the metal core and the additional6 screws to connect the central metal joint with the wooden legs. The interaction with this object isat least two times daily. Depending on how much its user takes on and off its wardrobe.
Team Members: Ivan Levak, Iva Grgic
Image Credits: Photo by Marija Gasparija