Tag Archives: A’ Design Award and Competition

This Open-Air Market In Japan Features Expansive Roofs And An A-Frame Inspired Design

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This stunning structure is called the Marche Vision Market, and it is located in Taki town, Mie prefecture, Japan. Designed by Tomoya Akasaka, this exquisite market is unlike the typical, crowded, chaotic, and often haphazardly designed markets you may have come across. The key elements of the market are the rather expansive and impressive roofs which were designed after drawing inspiration from the water cycle, since rain and sunshine are essentials for the growth of crops. The unique roofs represent the absorption of energy via the curved surface extending over the ground. The repetitive torii gates at the Akone Yashiro Shine, located within the Ise Grand Shrine were sources of inspiration for the structures supporting the roof. The torii gates represent the prayers for abundant harvest, plentiful fishing yields, and successful businesses, forming a beautiful connection and symbolism, since the market promotes and sells local produce.

Designer: Tomoya Akasaka

The Marche Vision isn’t simply a market, it focuses on and attempts to foster regional collaboration through food. It takes the age-old and successful concept of the farmers’ market and elevates it by promoting dining events, to stimulate and support regional innovation and growth. The impressive roof is meant to represent the serene connection between heaven and earth, and it shelters a space that functions as an engaging landscape, where fresh ingredients and produce are encouraged, and business is conducted at a dynamic and productive pace.

The roofs shelter an open-air space, where visitors are allowed to connect with the outdoors, nature, and changing seasons, something which is not often seen in modern retail and shopping centers. This thoughtful touch reduces energy consumption, in turn addressing and offering a unique solution to environmental issues. The eaves form a surface for raindrops to descend regularly, in turn creating a ‘rain curtain’. The side facing the expressway has been integrated with local wooden louvers, adding a touch of warmth, minimalism, and harmony to the marketplace. These simple touches not only protect the region’s natural beauty but also encourage sustainable preservation.

The Marche Vision is designed to offer a lavish lineup of fresh food. It is a convenient and easy-to-access market for local growers, providing an interactive and expansive space for the promotion and sale of locally-grown produce. Fresh vegetables, delicacies from the land and sea, and even seasonal seafood such as Ise spiny lobster and abalone straight from Ise-Shima are available at the Marche Vision market.

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These quirky bottles explore the iconic silhouette of wine bottles by mimicking the outline

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Introducing you to your drink’s new best friend – the Cool Line Liquor Bottle series… It’s not your ordinary bottle; it’s a magician’s hat of sorts, hiding not one, not two, but four secret compartments for your favorite drinks. Crafted from durable stainless steel and lined with a safety coating, it’s as tough as it is reliable. Amping up your indoor and outdoor parties and catering to varied choices in a compact form.

Designer: Quan Yuan

At first glance, the liquor bottle appears to defy convention. Its sleek and modern aesthetic diverges from the familiar silhouette of standard liquor bottles. Yet, beyond its striking exterior lies a remarkable fusion of form and function, carefully crafted to cater to the evolving preferences of contemporary consumers.

Imagine picking up a pencil and drawing in the air. With this bottle, those lines come to life in 3D! The designer took simple lines and turned them into a cool, futuristic liquor bottle. It’s not just about looks though – it’s super practical too. By smoothly combining thick lines and introducing a novel joint mechanism, the designer transforms ordinary lines into a tangible 3D representation of a liquor bottle. You can store not one, not two, but four different types of liquor in one bottle! How cool is that?

The transformative nature of this design extends beyond its visual appeal. Each unit comprises a pair of linear tubes, offering a unique solution for housing multiple varieties of liquor. The main upper tube, equipped with a convenient screw cap, facilitates easy pouring of the main liquor. Meanwhile, the C-shaped base tube, cleverly integrated with the joint mechanism, adds an element of versatility. By simply adjusting the position and unscrewing the cap, users can access a secondary liquor stored within the base tube.

Moreover, this bottle boasts not only innovation in form but also in material composition. Crafted from premium 304 stainless steel and featuring a food-grade inner coating, it ensures both durability and safety in beverage storage. The outer packaging, comprising cardboard, EVA-base, PET sheets, and acrylic plates, further enhances its appeal as a premium product.

Behind the scenes, extensive research and experimentation have paved the way for the realization of this groundbreaking design. The designer carefully looked at lots of other bottles to see what young people like. Through iterative prototyping and 3D printing, the optimal joint mechanism and tube thickness were determined, ensuring both functionality and aesthetic appeal. Undoubtedly, the journey of designing this liquor bottle was not without its challenges. The development of the joint mechanism, in particular, posed a challenging obstacle. Yet, through creativity and perseverance, the designer succeeded in creating a mechanism that allows for fluid rotation of the main tube while ensuring stability and balance.

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Single Serve Coffee Grinder deposits the perfect grind directly into your portafilter

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Slick, svelte, and almost looking like Michael Jackson leaning forward in his iconic stance, the AF007 (no relation to James Bond) is a tabletop conical burr grinder that does one job well – grind exactly the right amount of coffee for a single serve. For people who love the idea of a Keurig or Nespresso, but hate resorting to preground commercial beans, the AF007 gives you exactly a single or double-shot worth of coffee, dispensed directly in your portafilter, or a coarser ground dispensed right into your French press or pour-over.

Designers: Nicola Zanetti and Federico Gonzales Bosque

The AF007’s design is so ruthlessly minimalist you could put it somewhere in an Apple Store and nobody would bat an eyelid. It sports an incredibly clean design that’s focused on utilitarianism and is devoid of any details that would clutter the aesthetic. That being said, the AF007 still has a personality, with its geometric surfaces, wonderful matte metal finish, and that leaning-forward stance that gives it a sense of dynamism even though it’s a static device that sits on your kitchen countertop.

Using the AF007 is simple. Load the beans in the vessel through the opening at the top. The top also doubles as a rotary knob that lets you choose the grind size, going coarse for pour-over brewing, or finer for use in a Moka Pot or an espresso machine. An LED panel on the side lets you choose between a single or double-shot (smaller or larger depending on how much coffee you consume), and a holder and tray right in front of the nozzle lets you attach a portafilter or a collecting vessel for the grounds to get deposited into. It’s all deviously simple, both visually and functionally, which is what makes the AF007 such a neat little device for coffee aficionados. In fact, the grinder even won the A’ Design Award last year for its simple yet sophisticated approach to the coffee-making process!

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This Pagoda Lamp Is A Fusion Of Buddhist Architecture and Innovation

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The Pagoda Lamp taps into the rich symbolism of Buddhist pagodas to create an unparalleled lighting experience. Pagodas, renowned for their tower-like stature, multi-story design, and construction from stone, brick, or wood, are typically associated with Buddhist temple complexes and are a common sight in East and Southeast Asia. Inspired by the deep significance imbued within these iconic structures – embodiments of enlightenment and spiritual wisdom – the visionaries behind the Pagoda Lamp set out to translate these age-old concepts into a contemporary masterpiece. In their pursuit, they seamlessly weave tradition into the fabric of modern design, breathing new life into ancient symbolism.

Designer: Zongming Liu and Xingchen Pan

At the heart of this lamp’s design philosophy lies the ambition to reimagine traditional symbols uniquely and refreshingly. Departing from conventional lamp designs, this luminary masterpiece boasts a distinctive feature – a seamless integration of form and function, reminiscent of the artful rotations of a pagoda. Its appearance alone speaks volumes, with the bulbs housed within the graceful contours of the pagoda’s shape, exuding an aura of elegance and mystique.

What truly sets this lamp apart is its innovative approach to user interaction. Eschewing the need for external switches, the lamp ingeniously incorporates its controls into the very essence of its design. With a simple touch and gentle rotation atop the pagoda, users can effortlessly illuminate their space, adjusting brightness levels to suit their preferences. This intuitive functionality not only enhances the user experience but also adds a touch of magic to everyday lighting routines.

Crafted with precision and attention to detail, the Pagoda Lamp is as much a feat of engineering as it is a work of art. The shell, meticulously fashioned from teak wood, offers not only aesthetic appeal but also durability and stability. Designed to withstand the rigors of daily use, the lamp’s construction ensures minimal deformation, while the natural heat conduction of wood imbues a sense of warmth and comfort to any space it illuminates.

With dimensions of 10cm x 10cm x 20cm, the Lamp is perfectly suited for a variety of settings, from cozy reading nooks to elegant study spaces. Moreover, its affordable price point makes it accessible to a wide audience, catering to the diverse needs of modern households. In a market saturated with mundane lamp designs, the Pagoda Lamp stands out as a testament to the transformative power of innovative design, elevating the humble desk lamp into a true work of art. However, behind its exquisite exterior lies a testament to ingenuity and craftsmanship. The complex internal structure of this lamp posed significant challenges during the manufacturing process, requiring meticulous attention to detail and precision machining techniques to achieve the desired outcome. Yet, it is precisely this commitment to excellence that sets this lamp apart, ensuring a product of unparalleled quality and sophistication.

The post This Pagoda Lamp Is A Fusion Of Buddhist Architecture and Innovation first appeared on Yanko Design.

Redefining Honey Packaging with Sustainable Sophistication and Luxury

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Everyone is into aesthetics these days, focusing on what catches the eye right away but as designers, sustainability is a really popular and important discussion. When it comes to products, packaging is key. It’s the first thing you notice on the shelf, especially when there are a lot of options to choose from. Good packaging can make a product stand out and leave a lasting impression on you. That’s where this innovative honey jar design comes in. It holds honey but goes beyond just being a jar. It looks like a beehive and is made from eco-friendly materials. It’s not just about honey – it’s about appreciating nature and making choices that help our planet while making a product successful.

Designer: Wallrus Design Studio

This innovative packaging embodies the essence of nature’s bounty while seamlessly blending functionality with aesthetics. Crafted to hold one of the most treasured natural delicacies – honey, this packaging transcends conventional design by offering consumers an experience that extends far beyond the initial purchase.

At its core, this packaging design serves as a testament to sustainability and versatility. Once the honey has been savored and enjoyed, consumers are encouraged to repurpose the container as a storage vessel for an array of items, ranging from homemade jams to spices and dried fruits. This thoughtful approach not only adds value to the product but also promotes a sustainable lifestyle by reducing waste.

One of the most striking features of this packaging design lies in its wooden labels, each meticulously crafted to reflect the natural habitats of bees. Drawing inspiration from the serene beauty of forests, mountains, and plains, these labels transport consumers into the enchanting world of bees, fostering a deeper connection to nature with every glance. Complementing these visuals is the inclusion of a wooden door, serving as a poignant reminder of the organic origins of the product and further enhancing its natural appeal.

In a market flooded with choices, discerning consumers seek only the finest and highest quality honey. With its distinctive hexagonal form inspired by the intricate design of a beehive, this packaging design instantly communicates purity and naturalness. The geometric precision of the honeycomb motif not only captivates the eye but also evokes a sense of authenticity and trust, making it a preferred choice among honey connoisseurs.

Beyond its functional attributes, this packaging design exudes an air of luxury and sophistication that is simply unparalleled. Its unique aesthetic and attention to detail make it a coveted item for gift-giving, elevating the act of presenting honey into a memorable and cherished experience. Crafted from a harmonious combination of glass and wood, this packaging exudes elegance and durability. Nestled within a sturdy box, it ensures that the precious contents remain safe and secure, while also adding a touch of opulence to any setting.

Undoubtedly, the creation of this exceptional packaging presented its fair share of challenges. From sourcing the appropriate materials to designing specialized tools and technology, every aspect was carefully considered and executed to perfection. Yet, it is precisely this dedication to craftsmanship and innovation that sets this packaging design apart, making it an enduring symbol of excellence in the realm of product packaging.

The post Redefining Honey Packaging with Sustainable Sophistication and Luxury first appeared on Yanko Design.

Whimsical Moose-shaped cabinet adds a touch of delightful quirk to your interior space

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If Radhika Dhumal’s beetle-inspired table captivated your heart then this multifunctional cabinet modeled on the form of a moose is sure to catch your fancy. A winner of the A’ Design Award last year, this little whimsical wonder from Priyam Doshi adds a touch of playfulness to your interior decor while giving you functional storage. The cabinet adopts the rough silhouette of a moose, with broad legs, a squarish face, and even horns that serve well as jewelry hangers.

Designer: Priyam Doshi

Handmade from Oakwood with a water-based matte finish, the Moose cabinet has four distinct storage areas – the two legs, the body, and the face. The legs offer open storage for statement pieces and other memorabilia, while the body and face have their own doors to help store other items that you’d necessarily want to keep away from snooping neighbors – your jewelry or your fancy alcohol collection, perhaps. Points for noticing that the handle on the face door is, in fact the moose’s eye!

The tabletop surface above the moose comes outfitted with a variety of trays to store other tchotchkes and bric-a-brac from watches and loose change to perhaps even your AirPods, wallet, EDC. The moose’s tail has a built-in mirror, which is a nice quirky touch, while the horns themselves serve as perfect hangers for tiny purses, keys, or even a hat.

“The inspiration was to add fun to the boring mundane lifestyles and objects around you. The Moose Cabinet is a handcrafted statement piece inspired by the animal, Moose and is designed to be a FUNctional piece – FUN yet highly functional,” says designer Priyam Doshi. “Also in today’s times, with people’s lifestyles becoming more demanding & people looking at efficient uses of living spaces there is a need to have multifunctionality in the new products we are designing. So Plug and play accessories were added for the users.”

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The Perfect Playground: Miniature Cityscape-shaped Furniture Designed for Inquisitive Cats

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Cats are perhaps the most adaptable creatures around. They’re perfectly independent in the wild, have the same survival instincts in the urban jungle, and even when kept indoors, are just as capable of figuring stuff out. A lot of that boils down to the cat being an innately curious, hands-on animal that isn’t afraid to say no to a new challenge. Designed for these cats, the Mocats Multifunctional Cat Furniture lets indoor cats have a taste of the outdoor world. Shaped like a city skyline, the adaptable, modular furniture gives cats their own buildings, apartments, and roofs to explore and conquer. The modular design allows cat-parents to build out the kind of toy that fits their space perfectly. Undulating rooftops add a wonderful touch to the home’s decor, while providing a uniquely intricate piece of furniture for your cat to explore and rest in.

Designer: La Jato del Gato

The brains behind Mocats are a pair of architects and devoted cat owners who understand the delicate balance between feline comfort and human aesthetics. Their inspiration stems from the idea of creating adaptable spaces that cater to the ever-changing needs of cats and their owners. In short, when your cats grow in size or in numbers (or even when they get bored of the old layout), the Mocats can be expanded or altered to keep your furry friends engaged. These cat-scale spaces are built on the principles of flexibility and growth, ensuring that your pet’s furniture evolves with them.

Mocats takes the interaction between humans and cats to a new level. The act of assembling each module and configuring various circuits becomes a bonding experience between human and cat. Owners are given the freedom to choose the pieces and configurations that suit their lifestyle, enhancing the connection between them and their feline companions.

At the heart of Mocats is its modular design, which allows your cat to scratch, climb, hide, observe, sleep, and play to their heart’s content. But it doesn’t stop there – these eco-friendly furniture pieces seamlessly integrate into your home’s decor, adapting to your lifestyle and available spaces. Crafted from cardboard and plywood, Mocats utilizes a manufacturing process that excludes toxic additives, only relying on traditional fixtures like dowels and washers, and ensuring the safety and well-being of your pets. Digital design programs and laser cutting technology are employed to create precise templates and components, bringing down production costs while making assembly a breeze.

The Mocats Multifunctional Cat Furniture is a Silver Winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2023.

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This ‘2D Chandelier’ turns your Entire Ceiling into a Canvas of Thrilling Light Patterns

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Chandeliers were originally designed as symbols of sheer opulence. Made to hold multiple candles in a grandiose way hanging from a high ceiling to illuminate a large hall. The candles were replaced with bulbs but the grandiosity only increased as chandeliers could now use crystals and other ornamental materials. The point is, chandeliers were inherently designed to be vertical, hanging from high ceilings. The Hexa Light challenges that notion with a ‘horizontal’ chandelier design that occupies the area of your ceiling like a 2D fixture rather than a 3D one. The result is two-fold – firstly, wider coverage of light, allowing the Hexa to illuminate a place more effectively, and secondly, a beautiful 2D light fixture that turns your ceiling into a canvas for its unique patterns.

Designer: Sepehr Mehrdadfar

The inspiration behind Hexa Light traces its roots to traditional Iranian architectural decorations. The design’s geometric pattern, reminiscent of “Girih” and “miniature” motifs, showcases intricate interlaced strapwork patterns. The result? A captivating blend of cultural iconography and modern technology.

Split into multiple individual modules, the Hexa Light achieves a dual purpose by offering broad and localized lighting modes. Its modular design, resembling a third of a hexagon, enables endless compositional possibilities, enhancing both aesthetics and functionality. It forms a mesmerizing geometric network when its modules coexist, providing ambient lighting and adding a decorative touch to any space. Moreover, its unique linear module design leaves empty spaces between lights, preserving the ceiling cover while illuminating the room.

Crafted from extruded aluminum profiles, each module houses energy-efficient LEDs and is adorned with Plexiglas diffusers. The clever integration of magnets and a fixture for electric wires ensures a seamless and flexible lighting solution. Although better appreciated as a hanging light-piece (above), the Hexa can also be built into a faux ceiling (shown below) for a more integrated design.

The Hexa Light is a Silver Winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2023.

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Exploring the Jaipur Furniture Collection: A Fusion of Tradition and Modernity

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When it comes to furniture design, there are pieces that simply transcend function and become works of art. The Jaipur Furniture Collection by Sonal Tuli is precisely that — an exquisite fusion of tradition and modernity that pays homage to the vibrant pink city of Jaipur, India.

The primary function of the Jaipur Furniture Collection is to serve as functional furniture. Yet, it transcends this purpose by encapsulating the spirit and legacy of Jaipur itself. It masterfully incorporates design elements derived from Jaipur’s iconic architecture and the intricate art of blue pottery. Each piece within this collection, including the Jaipur sideboard, chandelier, mirror, and rug, serves as a modern homage to the city’s cultural richness and traditional crafts.

Designer: Sonal Tuli

The true essence of this collection, however, lies in its craftsmanship. Handcrafted in India, every piece showcases the skill and artistry of local craftsmen. The strategic use of white marble and lapis lazuli, complemented by stone inlay and overlay techniques, adds an aura of opulence and timelessness to the furniture. These techniques, deeply rooted in India’s heritage, demand a level of expertise passed down through generations.

Beyond aesthetics, the Jaipur Furniture Collection effortlessly balances functionality and elegance. For instance, the Jaipur sideboard unveils a glimpse of pink when its shutter is opened—a subtle nod to Jaipur’s famous pink sandstone. When illuminated, the Jaipur chandelier and pendant breathe life into traditional patterns inspired by lapis lazuli against the backdrop of pristine white marble. Even the Jaipur mirror offers versatility through its backlit knobs.

For Sonal, the journey from conceptualization to realization was not devoid of challenges. Originally envisioned with delicate blue pottery tiles, the collection had to pivot towards more durable materials, such as white marble, due to practical constraints. Furthermore, the Jaipur console underwent a redesign to facilitate ease of transportation.

The Jaipur Furniture Collection is a Gold Winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2023.

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Pizza Oven or Party Prop? This quirky Disco Ball Pizza Oven adds Glam and Gluten to your kitchen!

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Marcus Cresswell’s mirror-studded Disco Ball Pizza Oven drops the beat while raising the crust!

I’m not sure if I love this oven more than the pizza going inside it, but Cresswell’s disco ball-shaped pizza-maker definitely has my attention. Standing at 5.7 feet tall and measuring 3.6 feet wide, the pizza oven rotates independently on its base like a disco ball would, and comes studded with over 34,000 tiny hand-fitted mirror units that give this oven its signature style. The inside features a stone core with a cordierite cooking base that lets the oven hit temperatures of 400°C (752°F), allowing it to cook a perfect Neapolitan-style pizza in under 90 seconds. Gluten never looked this glamorous!

Designer: Marcus Cresswell

While most pizza ovens are built for utility, Cresswell’s “Discovens” has an appearance that’s almost jewel-like. The spherical pizza oven stands on a stable platform that also allows it to independently rotate 360°, giving the 34,000 mirrors on its surface a chance to reflect light in unique ways. The disco ball also cooks pizzas, breads, and other sorts of baked dishes in under a few minutes thanks to its ripping-hot temperatures.

The oven features a stone core and comes with a cordierite base that helps it reach temperatures higher than ceramics. Quite like traditional wood-fired ovens seen in Italy and around the world, the ‘Discovens’ can hit high temperatures of 750°F in just under 20 minutes, allowing it to cook pizzas and other breads at incredibly high speeds to develop that beautiful crispy burnt outer crust while the insides still remain incredibly soft and flavorful.

Developed over a period of 3 years, Cresswell’s made 5 prototypes of the Discovens that have gone to their respective patrons and pizzaiolos. The pizza oven comes pre-assembled, and accepts wood as fuel to cook your pizza pie. “A lot of research went into the shape of the stone core oven; for air flow (diameter, length and position of the flue, and size, length and shape of oven mouth, for the best air draw), and ratio of air flow and oven size (using fibonacci sequence) for best functionality,” Cresswell mentions. The oven takes 20-25 minutes to heat up to a working temperature range of 350-400°C, and roughly 4-6 hours to cool down. While the mirrors look incredibly eye-catching, it’s professionally recommended that children stay away from the oven while it’s in use. Each oven also comes with an insulating door for controlled-temperature cooking, letting you slow-cook skillets and steak meals.

The Discovens Pizza Oven is a Bronze Winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2023.

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