Forrest Benk by Giuliano Ricciardi is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award i Jern in Hage- og Utemøbeldesign Competition Category.

JernUtemøbler· 2022

Forrest Benk

by Giuliano Ricciardi

Client: d-Lab studio

A' Design Award i Jern Winner in Utemøbler Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #138382

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Colors

The Design

About Forrest Benk

Forrest er en monolittisk benk som baserer sin eleganse på den minimale og rene formen og den utstående strukturen dekket med porselenssteintøy som pynter på overflatene. Takket være disse elementene er det mulig å etterligne enhver stein, tre eller metall perfekt, samtidig som de tekniske fordelene (holdbarhet, letthet, motstand, etc.) som slike materialer vanligvis ikke gir. Strukturen fullføres av den lysne corten-støtten som er nesten forsvunnet av plasmakuttede teksturer og av LED-lyset plassert under projeksjonen som tilbyr behagelige skyggespill.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Jern

Forrest Benk er vinner av A' Design Award i Jern, en prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles gode design som oppfyller de profesjonelle og industrielle kravene man forventer av veldesignede skaperverk. Jernvinnere viser stor dyktighet, høy spesialisering, ekspertforståelse og kreativ kapasitet hos skaperne. Forrest Benk forventes å være et høyt ansett, beundret og verdsatt skaperverk som er praktisk og nyskapende. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Jern, integrerer bransjens beste praksis og har kompetente tekniske egenskaper knyttet til kunnskap og talent. Forrest Benk respekteres for sin grundighet og er utformet for å gi forbedringer i livskvalitet som bidrar til å gjøre verden til et bedre sted.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The Forrest bench is a monolith which bases its elegance to the minimal shape and to its projecting structure covered with porcelain stoneware that embellishes the surfaces. Thanks to these elements, it's possible to perfectly emulate any stone, wooden or metal material while maintaining the technical advantages (durability, lightness, resistance, etc.) that such materials usually do not provide. The structure is completed by the lightened corten support made almost evanescent by plasma cutted pattern.
Dimensions & Packaging: 2400 mm x 800 mm x 400 mm
Tags: bench, gres, corten, led, laser cutting, waterjet, marble, luxury, seat
Production Technology: Plasma cutting for Corten, waterjet cutting for Gres
Design Challenge: The main challenge was to provide lightness to a heavy-looking monolith, by replacing marble with other materials, like the mdf for the support and the porcelain stoneware for coating. These materials, when appropriately cut, would keep the texture continuity and allow to create a storage space. The secondary challenge was to give emphasis to the seat with a corten made support, which the aesthetic and structural features would make the bench complete.
Research: Market research analysis showed that the bench has always perceived as a poor and vaguely crude looks object. It is often made by low quality and easy to find materials. These conditions, reduce elegance and value of a useful object that could enrich an urban landscape, a park, or a museum or residential space. Forrest is the answer to the current need of living in a refined design setting while respecting the sustainable consumption of natural raw materials.
Inspiration: Thinking of a bench, the first picture that comes to mind is probably the “Forrest Gump” movie. The main character, sitting on a bench, deeply describes his life to the different people who exchange seats, while they wait for their buses passing. Bench is a meeting place, it’s a place of exchange, expectation, conversation, meditation and confidence; is not only a place for rest, is a means that brings travellers together, no matter if they know each other.
Project Duration: The project started and ended in September 2019 in Taranto. It obtained the first prize in the "Design With Gres" contest organized by SpazioBianko with Arch. Bernardo D'Ippolito, CEO of KinoWorkshop srl, as jury president and was prototyped to be exhibited at the award ceremony during the Gres & Dress event
Operation Flow: The bearing structure of Forrest consists of a mdf box which could be accessed through a door on the side for storing functions like mats, books, etc. The corten support element has a pure static and decorative function. The associated texture with corten and the specific stoneware crafting and finishing, allow for a better bench definition and adaptation to any stylistic and environmental context. The strip led below has a soft light touch function both for indoor and outdoor settings.
Image Credits: #1 Designer Giuliano Ricciardi, Forrest 01, 2019
#2 Designer Giuliano Ricciardi, Forrest 02, 2019
#3 Designer Giuliano Ricciardi, Forrest 03, 2019
#4 Designer Giuliano Ricciardi, Forrest 04, 2019
#5 Designer Giuliano Ricciardi, Forrest 05, 2019