Op.2-3 Praemium by Seungbum Ma is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Praemium A' Design Award Argenteum in Insigne Competition Category.

ArgentumInsigne· 2026

Op.2-3 Praemium

by Seungbum Ma

Client: Design House

Praemium A' Design Award Argenteum Winner in Insigne Category

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Verified Award Winner
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Colors

The Design

About Op.2-3 Praemium

Hoc praemium, ad Nundinas Design Vivendi Seuli anni MMXXIV excogitatum, ex elementis architectonicis fundamentalibus, qualia sunt columnae, trabes, et laminae, inspirationem trahit, per materias recentiores et fabricandi rationes de novo interpretata. Ex acrylico confectum, logicam compaginationis traditionalis Coreanae reddit, dum lucem, umbram, et materiae mutationem explorat. Forma pro angulo et illuminatione mutatur, interdum lucens, reflectens, aut umbras coloratas iaciens, claritatem structuralem cum profunditate sensuali per accuratam compositionis investigationem coniungens.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Argenteum

Op.2-3 Praemium victor est Praemii A' Design Award Argenteum, honoris eximie amplissimi formis summi generis, pulchris et conspicuis dati. Victores Argenti opera valde splendida et creandi ingenio praedita sunt, quae praestantem peritiam, talentum et acumen auctorum suorum ostendunt. Exspectatur Op.2-3 Praemium opus mirabile, exemplare, valde professionale et penitus novum fore. Haec forma Argento victa inventum notabile et admiratum est, quod ad fines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae promovendos confert. Op.2-3 Praemium creatio est, quam multi invident, quae cupiditates excitat, sensus bonos affert et admirationem miraculumque movet.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This is the trophy design for the 2024 Seoul Living Design Fair. Inspired by fundamental architectural elements, such as beams, columns, and slabs, the design reinterprets traditional Korean joinery using acrylic. The trophy’s form responds to light and angle: at times glowing and casting stained-glass-like reflections, at others becoming a dark mirror or a silent, solid mass. Three versions were created—Special, Product, and Space Prizes—each rendered in RGB hues symbolizing light itself.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 103 mm x Depth 103 mm x Height 323 mm
Tags: architectural object, architectural trophy, trophy
Production Technology: This project also served as an experiment in translating architectural and furniture joinery techniques into a smaller scale. It involved a series of tests to determine tolerances that allow precise acrylic assembly without breakage, along with studies to identify the optimal colors and levels of transparency. The final outcome was achieved through extensive exploration of transparency, translucency, opacity, reflectivity, dyeing, tinting, and color mixing.
Design Challenge: Wood was fragile, while rigid paper allowed for easy assembly but presented issues with warping and finish. Aluminum lost its precision and deformed during cutting. While 3D printing offered structural stability, it was excluded due to its incompatibility with the interlocking design language.

Ultimately, acrylic was chosen for its ability to transmit and reflect light, casting colored shadows while glowing on its own. However, tests were required to determine the optimal tolerances for assembly without breakage, as well as to identify suitable colors and levels of transparency.
Research: Under a tight timeline, it was necessary to explore multiple formal alternatives for the trophy while simultaneously studying the complex joinery details at a small scale using various materials.
Inspiration: This project explores the universal language of architecture to evoke new experiences and meanings. Fundamental elements, such as beams, columns, walls, and floors, are reconfigured with contemporary materials to defamiliarize the everyday and invite renewed reflection. By reinterpreting traditional joinery through modern techniques, the work honors history while opening paths toward the future.
Project Duration: The project started in January and finished in February 2024 in Seoul, and was exhibited in the Seoul Living Design Fair 2024 in March.
Operation Flow: Placed by a sunlit window, it takes on entirely different forms and impressions depending on the time, weather, and the viewer’s perspective.
Team Members: SeungBum Ma
Euijung Sung
Eunbin Lim
Image Credits: All photos by Yoon Park.