Desafinado Bangku by Cass Saldanha is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Perunggu in Desain Parabot Competition Category.

PerungguParabot· 2026

Desafinado Bangku

by Cass Saldanha

Client: SAL+Co

A' Design Award Perunggu Winner in Parabot Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #180459

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Desafinado Bangku

Desafinado nyaéta bangku anu dirancang salaku ulikan ngeunaan kasaimbangan sareng kasederhanaan. Wangunna nuturkeun kajelasan gaya Skandinavia, kalayan garis lempeng sareng géométri basajan, dipadukeun sareng beurat sarta katerusterangan modernisme brutalis Brasil. Proporsi anu handap ngajak kana sikep diuk anu santai, sareng pamisahan antara jok sareng panyarandean nyiptakeun tegangan visual. Bagian anu ngajengat sacara dihaja nyaimbangkeun jok sareng panyarandean ka arah anu sabalikna. Bangku ieu ampir sagemblengna didamel tina kai ek Éropa kalayan warna hideung, sareng bantal ipis anu dijahit ku panangan tina kulit sadel Brasil ngalengkepan jokna.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Perunggu

Desafinado Bangku mangrupa juara A' Design Award Perunggu, pangakuan anu pohara bergengsi anu dipasihkeun ka desain unggul anu dicirikeun ku kréativitas, kacerdikan jeung kawaspadaan. Para juara Perunggu téh artéfak anu lobaan kaahlian jeung kréatif pisan anu ngabuktikeun pangalaman anu lega, imajinasi jeung kacerdasan para désainerna. Desafinado Bangku diharepkeun jadi objék anu dihargaan, dikagumi jeung dipikanyaah anu profésional jeung inovatif. Desain juara A' Design Award Perunggu ieu ngalebetkeun prakték pangalusna dina seni, élmu, desain jeung téknologi, sarta unggul dina perhatian kana détail. Desafinado Bangku minuhan kabutuhan kalayan éndah, nyentuh kahayang, nyenangkeun rasa, jeung narik rasa panasaran.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The Desafinado bench is conceived as a study in balance and restraint. Rooted in Scandinavian design, it relies on simple, straight lines and clear geometry. The low-lying proportions invite a relaxed posture, while the split between back and seat creates a visual tension. An intentional overhang balances the extended seat and back to opposite directions, turning structure into function.
Dimensions & Packaging: Materials:
Black Stained Oak
Seat in saddle leather

Dimensions:
Width: 130 inches or 39624 mm
Depth: 16 inches or 4876.8 mm
Height: 22 inches or 6705.6 mm
Seat Height: 12 inches or 3657.6 mm
Tags: Bench, Brazilian, wood, Balance, furniture
Production Technology: The bench is built almost entirely from a single material: European oak. Finished with a black stain, the wood emphasizes grain, mass, and shadow. This restrained material choice reinforces the clarity of the design, allowing form, proportion, and structure to define the piece without distraction.
The bench is complemented with a thin, hand-stitched seat cushion upholstered in authentic Brazilian saddle leather forced from local small business.
Inspiration: The piece draws from Scandinavian clarity, but it is grounded in Brazilian brutalist modernism. Its forms are direct and architectural rather than delicate or refined. The bench avoids excessive polish, embracing weight, presence, and material honesty. This subtle roughness distinguishes it from Japanese minimalism and reinforces its brutalist character.
Project Duration: Conceived in Miami in 2022, the project evolved through an intensive four-month prototyping phase and reached its final form in August of that year. The bench exists as a true one-of-one piece; all remaining prototypes were deliberately destroyed upon completion, reinforcing its singularity.
Operation Flow: Beyond simple seating, the Desafinado Bench invites multiple uses: a surface to recline or stretch, a platform for books and objects, or an architectural element that works as a space divider or low table. It shifts easily between function and presence, adapting to the way the body and the room engage with it.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Cass Saldanha, 2022.
This design is available for reproduction. Please contact the Designer if you have interest in discuss intellectual property and licensing the rights.
Image Credits: Cassiano Saldanha