Kromme Imeza y'Ikawa by Robert Wakeland is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza in Igishushanyo cy'Imitako Competition Category.

IfezaImitako· 2025

Kromme Imeza y'Ikawa

by Robert Wakeland

Client: Nice Form

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

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The Design

About Kromme Imeza y'Ikawa

Iterwa n'imiterere karemano y'imisozi y'amazi y'inyanja, Imeza ya Kromme ikoresha umurongo umwe w'imbaho yoroheje kugira ngo igaragaze gutemba kutagira iherezo kw'inyanja. Yakozwe yose mu mugano ukomeye, ibice by'imbaho yoroheje byakomatanyijwe hakoreshejwe uduce duto tworoheje twahujwe hamwe kugira ngo tukore imigozi isa n'igishushanyo cy'ubugeni. Inkingi nto za aluminiumu zongeweho imbaraga. Hejuru y'ikirahure gitanga isura isobanutse y'imiterere y'imbaho iri munsi. Imeza ya Kromme ni ikintu cy'ubugeni cy'igishushanyo ku bafuza ibikoresho bifite isura nziza kandi bikoreshwa neza.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza

Kromme Imeza y'Ikawa 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. Kromme Imeza y'Ikawa 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. Kromme Imeza y'Ikawa 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: Crafted entirely out of solid walnut veneer, the Kromme Table uses a very simple curvature to allow for a glass top. The veneer sections are laminated using 1/16” pieces molded together to form a sculpture like curve. Minimal supports crafted from aluminum are added for strength. The glass top provides a clear view of the wood grain beneath. The design is inspired by ocean waves, using one long strip of veneer to symbolize the continuous flow of the sea. A sculptural statement for those who want a piece of furniture that is both stylish and functional.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 444.5 mm x Depth 1333.5mm x Height 355.6mm
Tags: Sculptural Furniture, Coffee Table, Bent Lamination, Curved wood, Solid Walnut Veneer
Production Technology: Due to the nature of how veneers are cut with a knife, not a blade, it produces almost no waste as opposed to a thicker saw producing about 40% sawdust. While the visible layers of the piece are straight grain walnut, the interior uses the less desirable sections you typically get from true veneer. Such as sap wood. Those were placed into the center layers which ended up creating very minimal waste.

Attention to detain when creating the form was the key to a successful and accurate production. The form used to create the molds was fixed to a flat surface using dovetail sliding joinery. It served as a perfect track and avoided any movement while clamping.
Design Challenge: How to build this long flowing structure out of a single strip of wood was the main challenge. Steam bending was another option that was explored. However, you need to cut strips at a thicker weight to still maintain sustainability to some extent. And ripping 90 inch strips 4 times per section proved to produce too much waste. Thats's when bent lamination of thinner veneers was decided upon for construction.
Research: The initial concept of this design was inspired by ocean waves. I wanted to create a piece of functional and beautiful furniture that was constructed in a unique way. Hence the long single strips of veneer used to laminate the structure. You don’t often see bent lamination executed in this complexity. Which was part of the motivation behind this method of construction. Sure, joinery could have been used. However the result would not be the long flowing grain often seen in nature. One of the details that was important to maintain.
Inspiration: The goal was to create a table that was unique in both construction, form and inspired by nature. It was also important from a design point of view to be very simple, hence staying with one fluid piece of veneer for the construction. A finished piece that was just as bold as it is simple.
Project Duration: This project was started in July 2023 in New York City. It was executed and finished in upstate New York in August of 2024.
Operation Flow: The result is a sculptural piece of furniture that is as much of a conversation starter as it is functional.
Team Members: Robert Wakeland
Image Credits: All images and videos are created by Nice Form LLC.