Press Release
Golden A' Design Award in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Goes to Sakura Cup by Takanori Urata
Takanori Urata recognized for bakeware, tableware, drinkware and cookware design by the international grand jury of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2023 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Sakura Cup by Takanori Urata, designed for Sunsetclimax, has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design category. The award was conferred within the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached 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.
What the Golden A' Design Award Means
The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
About Sakura Cup
He designed the Sakura in order to make efficient use of wooden materials without wasting natural resources. The symmetry shape features curved surfaces that offer a natural both-hands fit and it enhances a beautiful wooden grain. A fine finish of the rim creates a soft reaching to the mouth, which is handmade individually by Japanese traditional craftsmen. The white and beige mixed color rope is decorated as a cup holder with a tiny tied snake knot is an accent of the design not to be simple.
About Takanori Urata
Embracing a thoroughly modern design style, TAKANORI URATA DESIGN INC. has become one of the most in-demand design firms in the region, celebrated for an ability to create exceptional spaces that are- in every way – unique. Though Takanori works primarily in the architecture and interior design spheres, he has also built a reputation on the back of other pursuits and in other markets, namely, in the package and graphic design industry. Throughout it all, Takanori’s signature remains apparent: crisp, clean and elegant. This has driven TAKANORI URATA DESIGN to thrive in sectors that require a certain sense of modernity, think modern condominiums, cosmetic companies and pharmaceutical clients.
Award Record
With this recognition, Takanori Urata is a winner of 3 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2021 - 2022 and the 2022 - 2023 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Award
The A' Kitchenware Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good kitchenware designs by best kitchenware brands and designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to kitchenware designers, product designers, industrial design studios and kitchenware brands from all countries. Typical entries include pots, pans, cutlery, plates, bowls and glasses. The awarded kitchenware designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/kitchenware
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is 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. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously 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. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which 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, uploading a work and receiving a 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. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/148207
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/148207
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!148207
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/306056
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.instagram.com/sunsetclimax/
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
- Sakura Cup
- Function
- Cup
- Category
- Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home and Food & Hospitality
- Colors
- Saddle Brown, Sienna, Peru, Dark Salmon and Burly Wood
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Sunsetclimax
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Takanori Urata
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Golden A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2022 - 2023
- Design ID
- #148207
Credits
- Image Credits
- Main image: Takanori Urata (2022) Optional; Takanori Urata (2022) Optional; Takanori Urata (2022)
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Takanori Urata studied and finally found how to show the most beautiful wooden grain in the cup. So it looks so smooth like a river. The shape of the cup is easy holding. The design is inspiration from wrapping by the both hands. Its unique shape expresses the love for natural resources. When you use the cup to drink something and it close to your mouth, soft wooden scent flow in the air. White and beige mixed color rope attached as a cup holder. A tiny tied snake knot is an accent of the design not to be too simple. Handmade finished individually. More often you use it, more and more charm it has.
- Inspiration
- Takanori Urata designed it for Japanese outdoor brand, which is called sunsetclimax. They has their own concept, such as a portable villa. As one of their outdoor items, Sakura has a beautiful and exclusive shape to be used in an extraordinarily situation. Sakura must be used in a long time because of its simple and beautiful shape which you never tired of. sunsetclimax is stick to the quality instead of mass production. Products are not only wasted, those must be loved by users. Any natural resources must have a story which impress people to realize how there are so important. He believes a long life product is a best solution against environmental problems.
- Research
- People have to cut some trees properly to keep a forest healthy. We should not misunderstand about it. Cutting tree is not a bad behavior if it can be controlled and managed well. There are Sakura trees which are thinned to keep a beautiful and healthy forest while well plan and manage the number of trees. The design, Sakura cup in order to make efficient use of them which have various looking of beautiful grain pattern without wasting those thinned wooden materials. This is the vision he wants to appeal through Sakura cup. Firstly, it took a much time to find a factory that would help produce Sakura cup which was exactly same as his drawing.
- Challenge
- Since it suffered Covid pandemic, camping activities has been getting popular in Japan because of well air circulation outside. He believes that a special experience through outdoor activities not only make people relaxed but also make family and friendship ties stronger. He doesn't want to finish this positive movement in a short time so that he is trying to create something high quality and a long life product which fascinates people until this movement becoming a kind of culture.
- Realization and Technology
- Tochigi in Japan is a blessed land to grow a beautiful and healthy forest while well plan and manage the number of trees by thinning. Skilled carpenters and craftsmen were used to gather to build Nikko Toshogu shrine which is now very popular as a World Heritage site and their skills have taken root in Kanuma, Tochigi. Japanese craftmen made and finished by hand individually. A manufacture of the cup has been challenging environmental issues since 1945. They are passing on Japanese tradition and accurate knowledge to the next generation how wooden materials are important.
- Operation and Interaction
- There are Sakura trees which are thinned to keep a beautiful and healthy forest while well plan and manage the number of trees. We design Sakura in order to make efficient use of them which have various looking of beautiful grain pattern without wasting those thinned wooden materials. Its shape is just fit in hands and a thin lip of the cup makes a soft touching, which is created by Japanese traditional craftsmanship. A cup handle made by a rope is a beautiful snake knot. While making a cup of tea, we shall start talking about a natural resources which we must hand over to the future generation.
- Project Duration and Location
- This cup was released in June, 2022, which has been on sale by sunsetclimax in Japan.
- Specifications
- Width 95mm x Depth 95mm x Height 72mm volume : 145ml
- Keywords
- cup, wooden cup, camping gear, product design, kitchen equipment, cherry blossom, thinned wood, sustainable
