Nakovalnya 의자 by Nataliya Naymark is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 철상 in 가구 디자인 Competition Category.
철가구· 2026
Nakovalnya 의자
Client: NNaymark.design
A' Design Award 철상 Winner in 가구 Category
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About Nakovalnya 의자
나코발냐(Nakovalnya)는 제정 러시아 대장간의 산업적 정신에 경의를 표하는 기념비적인 의자이다. 디자이너 선조들의 대장장이 유산에서 영감을 받은 이 작품은 모루의 육중하고 안정감 있는 형태를 현대적인 목조 조각으로 재해석했다. 정밀 밀링으로 깊게 파낸 오목한 좌면과 브루탈리즘적 실루엣을 갖춘 나코발냐는 기능적인 좌석인 동시에 발레 스탠드의 역할을 한다. 이는 시작의 본질, 즉 최고급 장인정신을 통해 노동의 현장이 주거 공간의 중심 오브제로 탈바꿈한 모습을 구현한다.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 철상
Nakovalnya 의자, 이 작품은 A' Design Award 철상 수상작으로, 잘 디자인된 창작물에 기대되는 전문적·산업적 요건을 충족하는 좋은 디자인에 수여되는 권위 있는 인정입니다. 철상 수상작은 창작자의 뛰어난 기술, 높은 전문성, 전문가다운 이해, 창의적 역량을 보여 줍니다. Nakovalnya 의자, 이 작품은 높이 평가받고 감탄과 사랑을 받는 창작물로서 실용적이고 혁신적일 것으로 기대됩니다. 이 철상 수상 디자인은 업계 모범 사례를 통합하며 노하우와 재능으로 연결된 유능한 기술적 특성을 갖추고 있습니다. Nakovalnya 의자, 이 작품은 철저함으로 존중받으며 삶의 질을 개선하여 세상을 더 나은 곳으로 만들도록 디자인되었습니다.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The Nakovalnya Chair explores ancestral heritage and the primordial act of creation. Inspired by the designer's great-great-grandfather, a blacksmith in Imperial Russia, the project embodies the grit and transformative power of the forge. The motive was to translate the "Anvil" - a site of intense labor and fire - into a domestic center piece. It serves as a tribute to the humble beginnings where raw materials are struck into beauty, positioning the chair as the essence of the home.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 700*640*680
- Tags
- Anvil Chair, Nakovalnya Design, Blacksmith Heritage, Russian Brutalism, Sculptural Seating, Solid Wood Furniture, Valet Chair, Ancestral Storytelling, Imperial Russia, Modernist Craft, Monumental Furniture, Functional Art, CNC Woodworking, Hand-finished Timber, Heritage Design.
- Production Technology
- The chair is realized through high-precision solid wood joinery, using oversized ash or oak to achieve its brutal mass. The primary structural challenge involved the deep concave seat, achieved through multi-axis cnc milling and hand-finishing to highlight the grain. The assembly uses mortise-and-tenon joints, reinforced to support the cantilevered backrest and hanging rail. The finish is a matte, low-voc oil that preserves the raw, tactile nature of the timber.
- Design Challenge
- The hardest part was balancing brutalism with human ergonomics. To honor the anvil, the chair needed to feel heavy and immovable while remaining a comfortable seat. Overcoming the internal factor of personal history, ensuring the tribute was respectful yet modern, required multiple iterations of the silhouette. Structural limits of wood when mimicking the weight of iron posed engineering challenges. Achieving the deep seat curve without compromising the grain was the main technical hurdle.
- Research
- This project is a work of Applied Conceptual Research aimed at bridging ancestral history with modern furniture typology. The objective was to distill the "spirit of the forge" into a functional domestic object. The methodology involved a deep dive into 19th-century blacksmithing tools and Russian peasant heritage, translating heavy iron geometries into wood. Data collection consisted of studying anvil proportions and ergonomic testing of concave surfaces. Through experiments with 1:1 scale prototypes, the research successfully balanced "brutalist" aesthetics with seating comfort. The insight gained is that furniture can act as a vessel for historical memory, impacting design by moving away from clinical minimalism toward soulful, narrative-driven objects that resonate with a society seeking deeper connections to their past.
- Inspiration
- Nakovalnya is a sculptural seating element prioritizing a brutalist aesthetic. Characterized by thick-set wooden members and a dramatic concave seat, the design mimics the grounded geometry of traditional iron-working tools. Its unique strength lies in its dual functionality: it serves as a robust seating vessel and a sculptural valet for garments. Unlike standard furniture, Nakovalnya acts as a physical manifesto of historical labor, bridging the gap between utilitarian craft and art.
- Project Duration
- autumn 2025
- Operation Flow
- The chair functions as a heavy-duty sanctuary for both the body and belongings. Its deep, scooped seat provides a grounded sitting experience, while the high, sturdy backrest is designed to double as a valet for hanging heavy coats or everyday clothes. Interaction is simple and tactile: the oversized wooden frame encourages the user to feel the history of the forge. It performs better than standard seating by offering a dual-purpose "sculptural anchor" that organizes the space around it.
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