Desafinado ベンチ by Cass Saldanha is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 銅賞 in 家具デザイン Competition Category.
銅家具· 2026
Desafinado ベンチ
Client: SAL+Co
A' Design Award 銅賞 Winner in 家具 Category
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- Verified Award Winner
- Verify Award Status for #180459
The Design
About Desafinado ベンチ
「Desafinado（デザフィナード）」は、バランスと抑制を探求する研究として設計されたベンチである。直線とシンプルな幾何学によるスカンジナビアン・デザインの明快さを基調としながら、ブラジリアン・ブルータリスト・モダニズムが持つ重量感と率直さを融合させている。低く抑えたプロポーションがくつろいだ姿勢を誘い、座面と背もたれの間に生まれた分割が視覚的な緊張感を生み出す。意図的に設けられたオーバーハングが、座面と背もたれを互いに反対方向へと均衡させている。本体はほぼすべてブラックステイン仕上げのヨーロピアンオークで構成され、ブラジル産サドルレザーによる手縫いの薄いクッションが座面を仕上げている。
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 銅賞
Desafinado ベンチは、創造性、独創性、鋭い洞察力で際立つ傑出したデザインに授与される、高い権威をもつ評価である A' Design Award 銅賞の受賞作品です。銅賞の受賞作品は、十分に巧みで印象的なほど創造的な工芸品であり、デザイナーの豊富な経験、想像力、機知を裏づけています。Desafinado ベンチは、高く評価され、称賛され、愛される品であり、顕著にプロフェッショナルで革新的であることが期待されます。この A' Design Award 銅賞を受賞したデザインは、芸術・科学・デザイン・技術のベストプラクティスを取り入れており、細部への配慮に優れています。Desafinado ベンチは、ニーズを見事に満たし、欲求に触れ、感情を魅了し、好奇心を引きつけます。
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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