Flowerblock Raft by Mizuki Chinen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Argint in Design de Mobilier Competition Category.
ArgintMobilier· 2026
Flowerblock Raft
Client: Chinen Mizuki
A' Design Award de Argint Winner in Mobilier Category
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The Design
About Flowerblock Raft
Flowerblock este un raft conceput să servească atât ca mobilier de depozitare, cât și ca separator de cameră. Designul este inspirat de blocurile florale, unități din beton cu modele geometrice ajurate folosite în arhitectura din Okinawa, care filtrează lumina puternică a soarelui, permițând în același timp trecerea aerului. Spațiile dintre cutii conferă raftului un aspect ușor și deschis. Tije din oțel inoxidabil conectează cutiile pentru stabilitate, frasinul alb masiv susține punctele de sarcină, iar placajul reduce greutatea totală. Raftul nu are panou posterior, astfel încât poate fi așezat lângă un perete sau în centrul unei camere.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award de Argint
Flowerblock Raft a câștigat A' Design Award de Argint, o recunoaștere extraordinar de prestigioasă acordată designurilor de top, superbe și impresionante. Câștigătorii Argintului sunt lucrări extraordinar de strălucite și extrem de creative, care ilustrează expertiza, talentul și perspicacitatea remarcabile ale designerilor lor. Se așteaptă ca Flowerblock Raft să fie o lucrare minunată, de referință, remarcabil de profesionistă și profund inovatoare. Acest design câștigător al A' Design Award de Argint este o invenție foarte notabilă și admirată, care aduce beneficii și împinge limitele artei, științei, designului și tehnologiei. Flowerblock Raft este o creație extrem de invidiată, care trezește dorințe, aduce sentimente pozitive și stârnește uimire și mirare.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This shelf deliberately leaves space between boxes, creating an overall cool and light impression. Light and air pass through the gaps, reducing visual pressure and creating a pleasant sense of openness in the space. Its open, airy presence, reminiscent of Okinawa's climate, evokes a refreshing feel even in hot seasons, bringing a gentle rhythm to the room it occupies. It is a design that considers not only functionality but also visual coolness.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 2000mm x 400mm x 1020mm
- Tags
- Shelf, Design, Furniture, Furniture design,
- Production Technology
- Stainless steel rods connect the boxes, ensuring durability and stability. The surfaces where these rods are inserted utilize solid white ash wood for its superior strength, providing robust support to load-bearing areas. Meanwhile, plywood is used for other sections to achieve overall weight reduction.
- Design Challenge
- To make the structure viable, we went through numerous trials and errors. Ensuring sufficient strength and stability proved particularly challenging. However, increasing strength inevitably added weight, so we also struggled to balance robustness with lightness.
- Research
- We conducted a durability test to verify how much weight the two stainless steel rods can withstand.
- Inspiration
- This shelf was designed inspired by Flower Blocks widely used in the architecture of my hometown, Okinawa. Flower Blocks are concrete blocks featuring geometric openwork patterns. They possess the characteristic of blocking strong sunlight while allowing pleasant breezes to pass through, combining practicality and decorative appeal. I focused on this functional beauty and incorporated a structure conscious of pathways for light and wind into the shelf's design.
- Project Duration
- The project commenced in Okinawa in April 2025.
- Operation Flow
- This shelving unit is intentionally designed without a back panel, allowing it to serve not only as storage furniture but also as a partition that gently divides a room. By not completely blocking sightlines or light, it maintains an open feel while enabling zoning according to purpose. Another key feature is its flexibility in placement it can be installed not only against walls but also in the center of a room or near windows. It adapts flexibly to changes in lifestyle and spatial usage.
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