Berliner Pouf by Tugce Sonmez Evin is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza in Igishushanyo cy'Imitako Competition Category.

IfezaImitako· 2023

Berliner Pouf

by Tugce Sonmez Evin

Client: Kitbox Design

Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza Winner in Imitako Category

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Colors

The Design

About Berliner Pouf

Berliner nicyicaro kizengurutswe gifite imikorere yongerewe imbaraga zo gutegereza, ibiro n'inzu. Igishushanyo gitanga umwanya wububiko bwibinyamakuru, ibitabo nibindi muburyo bufatika kandi bushimishije. Nestlike yimbaho yibiti ya pouf ibika ibintu neza kandi bigaragara kubakoresha. Berliner yuzuyeho ubwoya bworoshye bwo gukoraho velveti yoroshye no gushimangira ihumure. Yiswe amafunguro azwi cyane yo mu Budage, Berliner (Aka Kraupfen), kubera ko asa.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza

Berliner Pouf ni uwegukanye Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza, ishimwe ridasanzwe ry'agaciro gakomeye ritangwa ku bishushanyo byo ku rwego rwo hejuru, byiza kandi bikora ku mutima. Abegukanye Ifeza ni ibihangano by'ubuhanga bukomeye kandi bifite guhanga kwinshi, bigaragaza ubuhanga bwimbitse, impano n'ubushishozi bw'ababihanze. Berliner Pouf biteganyijwe ko izaba igihangano cy'icyitegererezo, gifite ubunyamwuga bukomeye n'udushya twimbitse. Iki gishushanyo cyegukanye Ifeza ni igihangano kizwi kandi gishimwa, gifasha kugura imbibi z'ubuhanzi, ubumenyi, ubushushanyo n'ikoranabuhanga. Berliner Pouf ni igihangano benshi bifuza, gikangura ibyifuzo, gitanga amarangamutima meza kandi gitera igitangaza.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Berliner is a large round pouf with a solid wood container unit in the middle. It's designed to store and display magazines, books etc. in a practical and appealing way. The idea was to make a seating furniture with enhanced functionality for waiting lounges, offices and houses. Wooden core is hand carved on a turning lathe, and upholstered with a faux fur for a soft velvety touch. The design is completed with two brass rings emphasizing the separation between different materials.
Dimensions & Packaging: Dimentions: 850mm x 850mm x 470mm

Materials:
Wooden core/nest: Ayous
Frame: MDF
Metal Rings: Brass with satine finish
Upholstery: Synthetic Fur
Tags: pouf, ottoman, magazine rack, storage unit, seating, berliner
Production Technology: The production process of Berliner has started with 3D printing of scaled versions of various initial forms to better evaluate the proportions. After the proportions are set, the actual production has started. The wooden core and pouf frame is hand-carved on a turning lathe from laminated wood blocks, the seating foam is hand-sculpted and upholstered. The brass rings are bent by hand and welded to fit tight. All production is a close collective work of 3 ateliers working with different materials. While the initial production is finished by hand, the design is suitable to be produced by CNC machines.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was to achive a reasonable weight while making a sturdy furniture with a wooden core. For that reason; the inner frame of the pouf is made out of laminated blocks by leaving the middle hollow and the core is made of ayous tree for its lightweight and ease of application. The design is seperated into two halves as top and bottom for secure and easy transportation. The top part is locked by a cental rod placed onto the bottom by simply rotating the upper half of the pouf.
Research: As the main function of the pouf is to be seated, ergonomics was a great concern while developing the design. Softness of the seating unit, curve radius of the edges, height and achieving an evenly weight distribution while being seated were the main objectives of the research process. As a result, two upholstered halves of Berliner is narrowing to the top and bottom, to help the person sitting on it to be placed closer to the center of gravity and not let his/her feet to touch the bottom.
Inspiration: In today's housing or workplace understanding, space is a thing which we all want to save. Instead of filling each void with another object, we all seek smart solutions to save some unaccompanied space for a feeling of comfort. Berliner is designed for this purpose; while taking the space that a round seating unit would fill, it serves as a space for other objects as well. It's named after the famous German pastry because of its obvious resemblance.
Project Duration: The project started in February 2022 and finished in May 2022, and was exhibited in SaloneSatellite exhibition of Salone del Mobile in June 2022
Operation Flow: The design interacts with the user by serving an unexpected additional function. The pouf collects occasionally used items and displays them for the user to easily see and reach. In a scenario where the Berliner is placed in a waiting lounge; one can easily reach the magazines while sitting on the pouf and enjoy reading for the duration of his/her wait. Curved nestlike form of the wooden container of Berliner provides good visibility for the objects stored while securely keeping them in place. This feature makes the design a practical asset as a waiting lounge seating furniture.
Patents: Registered to Tugce Sonmez Evin, 2022
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Mehmet Arslan
Image #2: Photographer Mehmet Arslan
Image #3: Photographer Mehmet Arslan
Image #4: Photographer Tugce Sonmez Evin
Image #5: Photographer Max Artbovich