Op.2-3 Primary Function: Taonga Whakawhiwhi by Seungbum Ma

Op.2-3 Primary Function: Taonga Whakawhiwhi by Seungbum Ma is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Hiriwa in Hoahoa Ipu Tohu, Paraihe me ngā Whakataetae Competition Category.

HiriwaIpu Tohu· 2026

Op.2-3 Primary Function: Taonga Whakawhiwhi

by Seungbum Ma

Client: Design House

A' Design Award Hiriwa Winner in Ipu Tohu Category

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Colors

The Design

About Op.2-3 Primary Function: Taonga Whakawhiwhi

Book Text: Ko tēnei taonga whakawhiwhi, i hangaia mō te 2024 Seoul Living Design Fair, e whai whakaaro ana i ngā takenga o ngā huānga hoahoanga taketake pēnei i ngā pou, ngā kurupae, me ngā papa, kua whakamāoritia anō mā ngā rawa hou me ngā tikanga hanga o nāianei. He mea waihanga ki te acrylic, e whakaata ana i te arorau o te mahi hono rākau tuku iho o Korea, me te tūhura i te māramatanga, te atarangi, me te panonitanga o ngā rawa. Ka huri te āhua i runga i te koki me te whakamarama, i ētahi wā ka mura, ka whakaata, ka whakaputa atarangi tae rānei, e whakakotahi ana i te mārama o te hanganga me te hōhonu o te tairongo mā te rangahau whakahiato tōtika.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hiriwa

Ko Op.2-3 Primary Function: Taonga Whakawhiwhi te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Op.2-3 Primary Function: Taonga Whakawhiwhi he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko Op.2-3 Primary Function: Taonga Whakawhiwhi he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.

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.