Press Release
Book Chair by Cass Saldanha Wins the Bronze A' Design Award in Furniture Design
Cass Saldanha acknowledged for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 26, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category for Book Chair by Cass Saldanha, designed for SAL+Co. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 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 scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Regarding Book Chair
Book is a chair that can also hold and display an open book. The design is a sculptural study in geometry and symmetry, and each angle is carefully calculated. Book is made of solid white oak and European walnut. A central oak disc anchors the frame where three angled legs converge. Four brass rods relieve tension at key junctions and add stability. Every surface is hand finished with natural oils, which give a matte texture and keep the feel of the wood. The seat height is 450 millimeters.
About Cass Saldanha
Cassiano Saldanha is a highly accomplished creative professional with over 25 years of experience in design, advertising, and marketing. He founded and sold a successful digital agency before making significant contributions as a graphic designer, art director, and creative lead at renowned advertising agencies across São Paulo, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami. His exceptional portfolio features award-winning work for brands like Nike, Google, Netflix, and Apple, where he served as a Creative Lead for Latin America and the Caribbean, overseeing marketing communications and driving regional success.
Award Record
Cass Saldanha is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards were granted between the 2021 - 2022 and the 2025 - 2026 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Furniture Design Award
The A' Furniture Design Award is an international furniture competition recognizing good furniture designs by best furniture designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to furniture designers, product designers, industrial design studios and furniture brands from all countries. Typical entries include chairs, tables, sofas, beds, cabinets and shelves. The awarded furniture designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/furniture
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/180226
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180226
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180226
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/260107
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
- Book Chair
- Function
- Chair
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Black, Dark Olive Green, Dim Gray and Rosy Brown
- Images
- 5
- Client
- SAL+Co
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Cass Saldanha
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180226
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Bookchair is more than a stool or a chair. It is a sculptural study in geometry and symmetry. Every angle is meticulously calculated to bridge the gap between furniture and art. While its 18-inch height offers utility, its true purpose is to cradle an open book, an invitation to slow down and reflect. More than a functional object, it is a quiet gesture of intentionality, designed for those who value both form and the written word.
- Inspiration
- Guided by geometry and architectural symmetry, the Bookchair is a study in visual clarity. Inspired by Lina Bo Bardi, whose furniture blended modernist rigor with Brazilian vernacular and handcraft. It blends modernist rigor with Brazilian cultural honesty. This piece honors Brazilian modernism through a balance of function and sculptural form. Whether supporting an open book or standing alone, it exists at the intersection of utility and art. An object to be used, and one to be contemplated.
- Realization and Technology
- Crafted from solid white oak and European walnut, the Bookchair balances warmth with structural depth. A central oak disc anchors the piece, distributing force where three angled legs converge. For engineered stability, four 1/3" brass rods act as discreet tension relievers at key junctions. Each surface is hand-finished with natural oils, creating a matte, luminous texture that preserves the wood's tactile essence. It is a marriage of meticulous joinery and organic materiality.
- Operation and Interaction
- The Bookchair can be used as a normal stool seating functionality, but also can serve as a book display.
- Project Duration and Location
- Conceived in Miami in May 2023, this project was prototyped over two months and completed in July 2023. It is an exclusive one-of-one piece; all remaining prototypes were destroyed in July 2023.
- Specifications
- Materials: European Walnut, White Oak, Brass solid rod. Dimensions: Width: 575 mm Depth: 300 mm Height: 735 mm Seat Height: 450 mm
- Keywords
- Stool, Chair, Brazilian, Wood, Symmetry, Sculpture
