Nakovalnya Mpando by Nataliya Naymark is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award in Mapangidwe a Fenicha Competition Category.
ChitsuloFenicha· 2026
Nakovalnya Mpando
Client: NNaymark.design
Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award Winner in Fenicha Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #181782The Design
About Nakovalnya Mpando
Nakovalnya ndi mpando waukulu wolemekeza mzimu wa mafakitale wa malo osulira zitsulo a ufumu wa Russia. Molimbikitsidwa ndi cholowa cha usmisi wa makolo a wopanga ameneyu, chipangizochi chimasintha mawonekedwe olemera ndi okhazikika a chipala kukhala chosema chamakono chamatabwa. Pokhala ndi mpando wozama, wokumbidwa mwaukadaulo mkati mwake komanso mawonekedwe olimba a kalembedwe ka brutalist, Nakovalnya imagwira ntchito ngati mpando wothandiza komanso choyikapo zovala. Ikuyimira chiyambi chenicheni, malo antchito osinthidwa kukhala chinthu chapakati pa nyumba kudzera mu luso lapamwamba kwambiri.
The Recognition
About the Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award
Nakovalnya Mpando ndi mmodzi mwa opambana a Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award, kuzindikirika kolemekezeka komwe kumaperekedwa kwa mapangidwe abwino omwe amakwaniritsa zofunika za akatswiri ndi za makampani zomwe zimayembekezeka kuchokera ku zolengedwa zopangidwa bwino. Opambana a Chitsulo amaonetsa luso lalikulu, ukatswiri wapamwamba, kumvetsetsa kwa akatswiri ndi mphamvu yolenga ya opanga awo. Nakovalnya Mpando akuyembekezeka kukhala cholengedwa choyamikiridwa kwambiri, chosirira ndi chokondedwa chomwe ndi chothandiza ndi chatsopano. Mapangidwe opambana Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award awa amaphatikiza machitidwe abwino kwambiri a makampani ndipo ali ndi makhalidwe a ukadaulo oyenerera olumikizidwa ndi chidziwitso ndi luso. Nakovalnya Mpando amalemekezedwa chifukwa cha kusamala kwake ndipo anapangidwa kuti apereke kukonza kwa moyo kumene kumathandiza kusandutsa dziko kukhala malo abwino.
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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