Folding 边桌 by Max Niemiec is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 铁奖 in 家具设计 Competition Category.

铁家具· 2026

Folding 边桌

by Max Niemiec

Client: Paul Maxwell

A' Design Award 铁奖 Winner in 家具 Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Folding 边桌

"折叠"是一款兼具几何雕塑感的边桌，可从各个角度欣赏。桌体由一整块层压硬木板材制成，切割为四块后沿锐角与钝角重新接合，使造型呈现出仿佛被折叠的效果。修长的渐变倒角令多面棱边更显精致。组装过程中运用了圆榫接合、木工夹具及特殊的夹紧工艺。板材经过三次"折叠"，四个面各自呈现出不同的视觉效果。各方向尺寸均为483毫米。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铁奖

Folding 边桌是 A' Design Award 铁奖得主，这是授予满足人们对设计精良的创作所期待的专业与工业要求的优良设计的声望认可。铁奖得主展现出其创作者的高超技艺、高度专业化、专家级的理解力和创造能力。预计Folding 边桌将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的创作，既实用又创新。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铁奖的设计整合了行业最佳实践，并拥有与专业知识和才华相结合的称职技术特性。Folding 边桌因其严谨而受到尊重，旨在提供有助于让世界变得更美好的生活品质改善。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This side table design is a geometric sculpture meant to be enjoyed from all sides. It is made from one laminated slab, cut and joined back together on acute and obtuse angles, to give the impression that it has been folded into a table-like form.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 483 mm x Depth 483 mm x Height 483 mm
Tags: folding, table, geometric, sculptural, side table, origami, taper, facet
Production Technology: The first step in the process is to make a laminated hardwood slab. Then the slab is cut into four pieces. The use of woodworking jigs and fixtures is necessary to cut the unusual angles and tapered chamfers. Dowel-type joinery and special clamping methods are used for the final assembly
Design Challenge: In minimalist designs a recurring challenge is finding the sweet spot between simplicity and complexity. Based on the initial design concept it was clear that the base and top of the table needed to be parallel planes. Two folds would have been the minimum to accomplish this but would have also been too simple to be interesting. Four folds would have been too complex and less structurally sound. The conclusion that this design required the slab to be folded three times provided the constraints and scope for the remainder of the design work.
Research: For this design the portion of the effort that was mathematical was far grater than in most other design projects. Although at first sight the folding table may appear elegantly simple, transforming this concept into reality was a highly complex trigonometric challenge. Each adjustment to the aesthetics required a long series of recalculations
Inspiration: The objective in this design was to create something that is both simple and radically new. The design process began with experiments folding a rectangular strip of paper. After transitioning from working with the flat plane of the paper to the thick wooden slab, the incorporation of the long tapered chamfers became aesthetically necessary - one of the most delightful elements of the design.
Project Duration: February 2025 - September 2025
Operation Flow: The folding table is best suited for use as a side table in an open space that provides as many unobstructed views as possible. Since it appears different from each of it's four sides, the front of the table depends on the preference of the viewer.
Patents: Application No. 30/046,172
Filed: February 3, 2026
Team Members: Max Niemiec
Image Credits: Brian Shumway