Nakovalnya Àga by Nataliya Naymark is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ohun-èlò Ilé Competition Category.
IrinOhun-èlò Ilé· 2026
Nakovalnya Àga
Client: NNaymark.design
Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award Winner in Ohun-èlò Ilé Category
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The Design
About Nakovalnya Àga
Nakovalnya jẹ́ àga alágbára ńlá tí ó ń bọlá fún ẹ̀mí ilé-iṣẹ́ ìdáná irin ti ilẹ̀ Rọ́ṣíà ìgbà ọba. Pẹ̀lú ìmísí láti inú ogún iṣẹ́ alágbẹ̀dẹ ti àwọn baba ńlá oníṣèwádìí àpẹẹrẹ náà, iṣẹ́ yìí yí ìrísí wíwúwo tí ó dúró ṣinṣin ti ọwọ́n-alágbẹ̀dẹ (anvil) padà sí ère onígi ti òde òní. Pẹ̀lú ibi ìjókòó tí ó jinlẹ̀ tí wọ́n gbẹ́ pẹ̀lú pípé pérépéré àti ìrísí ara brutalist, Nakovalnya ń ṣiṣẹ́ gẹ́gẹ́ bí ibi ìjókòó tí ó wúlò àti gẹ́gẹ́ bí ibi ìgbé aṣọ ka. Ó dúró fún kókó ìbẹ̀rẹ̀pẹ̀pẹ̀, ibi iṣẹ́ àṣekára tí a ti sọ di ohun ọ̀ṣọ́ àárín ilé nípasẹ̀ iṣẹ́ ọnà onípele gíga.
The Recognition
About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award
Nakovalnya Àga jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ olókìkí tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe tó dára tí wọ́n pàdé àwọn ohun tí iṣẹ́ àti ilé-iṣẹ́ nílò tí a retí láti ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn ẹ̀dá tí a ṣàwòṣe dáradára. Àwọn olùborí Irin ń fi ìjáfáfá ńlá, ìmọ̀ pàtó gíga, òye ògbóǹtarìgì àti agbára ìṣẹ̀dá àwọn olùṣẹ̀dá wọn hàn. A retí pé Nakovalnya Àga yóò jẹ́ ẹ̀dá tí a kà sí gidigidi, tí a gbóríyìn fún tí a sì nífẹ̀ẹ́, tó wúlò tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Irin A' Design Award yìí ń kó àwọn ọ̀nà tó dára jùlọ ilé-iṣẹ́ jọ, ó sì ní àwọn ànímọ́ ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ tó péye tí a so mọ́ ìmọ̀ ṣíṣe àti ẹ̀bùn. A bọ̀wọ̀ fún Nakovalnya Àga nítorí ìfọ̀kànbalẹ̀ rẹ̀, a sì ṣàwòṣe rẹ̀ láti pèsè ìmúdára ìgbésí ayé tó ń ran ayé lọ́wọ́ láti di ibi tó dára jù.
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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