The X edition focused on different types of armchairs

International Design Competition sponsored by PORADA ARREDI Srl and POLI.design.

Project delivery deadline: December 15, 2022
Total prize money: € 10.000
Regulations and application details on: www.porada.it, www.polidesign.net and www.porada-design-award.polidesign.net

Milan, february 2022 – Armchairs will be the protagonists of the PORADA INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD 2022, the international competition of ideas promoted by Porada, leading brand of Italian design, and POLI.design, founded by Politecnico di Milano.

Originality, innovation and research of new design solutions referred to the typical processing of solid wood are the guidelines that will inspire designers who will decide to participate and interpret the values and identity of Porada, the leading brand of Italian design. The goal of this new edition that is open to Italian and foreign designers and creative people (individuals or groups), professionals or non-professionals, corporate employees and students, is to identify new innovative concepts on different types of Armchairs, in which the use of solid wood is prevalent, although not necessarily exclusive, and which convey the values and the identity of the Porada brand.

The numbers of the competition have become important: in the last edition 343 projects presented to the jury and dedicated to the creation of different types of chairs, of which 165 belonging to the professional category and 178 to the student category. There were many submissions from Italy, but there was an equally positive international response: Taiwan, China, Russia, France, Turkey, Brazil, Japan, India, Serbia, Ukraine, Colombia, Spain, Egypt, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, United Kingdom, USA, are just some of the many nations involved. Six winners – three in the Professional category and three in the Student category – who were able to grasp the spirit of the competition by interpretating values and identity of Porada and by proposing innovative and original projects with the Chair as their theme.

Francesco Canali, student of Nuove Tecnologie dell’Arte, Accademia di Brera, won the prize of the Students category with “FIORDILATTE Chair“, a project stemmed from the desire to create not only a solid and modern in the forms seat but also, and first of all, a relationship, an emotional medium. The winner in the Professional category was Cornelius Comanns with the “Soothy” project, which combines the functions of a rocking chair and a crandle into one piece of furniture that can be used and enjoyed together by parent and child.

Projects relating to the 2022 edition shall be original and unpublished; they must enhance the use of production technologies, woodworking processes and typical finishing of the solid wood. They must respond to the principle of functionality and they must comply with the existing safety standards in force, also respecting ergonomic, environmental and sustainable design requirements. Wood, whether in natural-finish (preferably in finishes mainly used by the company), or lacquered, can be combined with metal, glass, leather, hide leather or fabric.

A jury composed of renowned experts in the field will judge and select the winning projects. In evaluating the entries, the judges will take into account: their originality, the level of innovation and research of new design solutions referred to the typical processing of solid wood, the experimentation on materials and surface finishes, the ability of the projects to define and anticipate scenarios of use and innovative concepts in the use of wood furniture and contemporary furnishing accessories, with particular regard to typological, technological and morphological determinations.

The jury will choose three winners for each of the two categories (Students and Professionals) in the competition, who will receive their awards at a dedicated event. The total prize money of € 10.000 will be allocated as follows:

PROFESSIONAL Category:
1st prize: € 3.000
2nd prize: € 2.000
3rd prize: € 1.000

STUDENT Category:
1st prize: € 2.000
2nd prize: € 1.200
3rd prize: € 800

For more details on how to participate or to submit an application, designers and creative professionals, both Italian and foreign, should consult the announcement on the site www.porada.it, www.polidesign.net and www.porada-design-award.polidesign.net.

Contacts:
Email: award@porada.it
Tel.: [+39]031.766215

Ufficio Comunicazione POLI.design: Veronica Zancarli
Mail: comunicazione@polidesign.net
Tel. [+39] 02.23997226www.polidesign.net

Ufficio Comunicazione Porada: Laura Allievi
Mail: laura@porada.it
Tel.: [+39]031.766215www.porada.it