After a break in 2019, our biennial calendar was restarted in 2020 presenting in a completely renewed Salão Design Award, featuring modifications in its categories, in its evaluation format of the competing products and new jurors. So many behind-the-scene changes have resulted in a number of award winners that are also unprecedented: all recipients are being awarded for the first time. Only designer Roberta de Sá Faustini had already received an honorable mention in the past.

The major modification in the regulations occurred during the registration phase, changing the typology of products that can compete for the prize. There were no categories for accessories and lighting, and only furniture projects could be entered. A total of 827 projects were entered by students and professionals in five categories, called challenges: Spaces in transformation challenge; 2020 Brazilian identity challenge; Panel use challenge; Embedded technology challenge and Positivist experience challenge

The traditional awards that are still given include the Master Teacher trophy for the students’ best products and also the Alternative Woods Award, the latter in partnership with the Brazilian Forest Service since 1996, which recognizes the use of woods that are not widely used

The director of the Salão Design Award, José Ferro, points out that the modifications introduced this year in Salão Design Award comply with the changes in the furniture market, but that is not all: the returning the award to its origins has been taken into consideration, aiming to foster innovation in the furniture sector. “The lighting and accessories categories were eliminated, thus focusing on the furniture itself. Moreover, in our opinion, categorizing the prize according to the parts of a house – furniture for bedrooms, furniture for living rooms, furniture for outdoor area, etc. – no longer corresponds to the reality where people give life to their spaces making the most diverse adaptations and customizations of their furniture”, he says.

A group of technical-functional jurors, consisting of academics and design professionals, was invited for the first phase of the evaluation of the entries. They were responsible for analyzing the technical conditions of the entries and aspects such as safety, materials used, production feasibility and sustainability. 104 finalists from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay were selected for the second phase.

During the second phase of the evaluation, a new group of jurors came on the scene, this time with a creative aesthetic emphasis. They were brought together in Bento Gonçalves in January for the on-site evaluation of the finalists and the selection of the winners. The group consisted of critic, historian and design curator Adélia Borges; architect, designer and cabinetmaker Fernando Mendes; award-winning designer, juror of numerous competitions, author and translator Freddy Van Camp; artist and designer Heloisa Crocco; and the content director of Casa Vogue Taissa Buescu.

According to juror Adelia Borges, sustainability is a watchword nowadays, but when the word is mentioned, what comes to people’s minds is words like recycled and recyclable. However, in her point of view, other very important prerequisites include the extension of a product service life and its multifunctionality. “Vira e Mexe, for example, is furniture for children with one large and two small modules. Apparently plain and simple, it is a set tuned with all the premises of contemporary design with great versatility”, she points out.

The evaluation of the finalists of the Alternative Woods Award, a special category held since 1996 in partnership with the Brazilian Forestry Service, had the participation of Elisa Palhares de Souza – a technician of the Brazilian Forestry Service. The award recognizes the use of wood considered not widely used. Designer Marcelo Briza Bicudo, who developed Banco Iris for the company Butzke, was the award winner. He will be given an expedition to sustainable forest management areas in Amazonas.

Elisa explains that the promotion of little-known species within the sector is extremely important for the technical and economic feasibility of sustainable management, which combines logging and forest preservation. In the 2020 competition, the wood used to make the products included both native and exotic species. Among the finalists, 41 products used solid wood and 25 pieces of furniture were qualified to compete for the award, making it possible to promote eight different Brazilian species, including cumaru, jequitibá and tauari.

Sponsored by Berneck, Interprint and Brasmacol, the Salão Design Award is the Brazilian furniture design award, and has been held since 1988 by Sindmóveis Bento Gonçalves. Established as a concurrent project of Movelsul Brasil, the competition has received 15,040 entries along its 32 years of existence.

In the 23rd edition, the cash prize totals R$ 10,000 for professionals and R$ 6,000 for students. The award ceremony and the exhibition of the products will take place at Movelsul Brasil, from March 16 – 19, 2020 in Bento Gonçalves. The winners will also participate in another exhibition this year during the São Paulo Design Week.

 Salão Design 2020 Award Winners

Category: Spaces in Transformation Challenge

Student Class

Mesinha Bold, designed by Renan Albano, São Paulo (SP)

UNESP | Universidade Estadual Paulista. Master teacher: Claudio Roberto Y Goya

Master Teacher Trophy: Claudio Roberto Y Goya

Judging panel’s opinion: “The conical fitting of the legs allows the tables to be perfectly stacked or used side by side, thus solving a real problem for small spaces”.

Professional Class

Mobiliário Vira e Mexe, designed by Roberta de Sá Faustini, São Paulo (SP)

Judging panel’s opinion: “The constructive solutions found in this furniture for children provide versatility of use and extend its service life. It is perfect for being produced on an industrial scale”

Category: 2020 Brazilian Identity Challenge

Student Class

Zals, designed by Richard Tenfen and Augusto Meurer, Joinville (SC)

UNIVILLE | Universidade da região de Joinville

Judging panel’s opinion: “The piece honors two great names of Brazilian modernist furniture – Jorge Zalszupin and Zanine Caldas – with light essential design from the visual and structural point of view”.

Professional Class

Banco Peteca, designed by Rafael Studart Alencar, Fortaleza (CE)

Judging panel’s opinion: “The piece with playful reference to the popular Brazilian toy, featuring intelligent design from the production point of view: there are two models of legs with a choice of finish and color, and it can be stacked or used as a supporting piece”.

Professional Class Honorable Mention

Cadeira Salvador, designed by Vinicius Siega, Bento Gonçalves (RS)

Judging panel’s opinion: “Elegant with visually-lightweight design, which results in saving materials and the perfect fit between the frame and the seat”

Category: Panel Use Challenge

Professional Class

Lazo, designed by Clarisa Bielawski, Ernesto Fasano, Pablo Jaime and Florencia Martínez, Sámago, Montevideo (UY)

Judging panel’s opinion: “The piece took advantage of the high resistance of the material – a 6mm board – which was machined using CNC technology, which provided flexibility and transparency to the material, resulting in a lightweight piece with a moiré effect”. 

Professional Class Honorable Mention

Mesa de centro Cob, designed by Frederico Cruz, Florianópolis (SC)

Judging panel’s opinion: “A combination of surface patterns that resulted in a piece with expressive visual force, besides making good use of the panels, based on architectural elements that are important for the Brazilian material culture”

Category: Embedded Technology Challenge

Professional Class

Cadeira Jataí, designed by José Alcântara Machado and Luciana Sobral for Maqmóveis, São Paulo (SP)

Judging panel’s opinion: ” Design very well developed from a technical and aesthetic point of view. The same piece can be adapted to left-handed and right-handed users, while providing greater flexibility of use by removing the revolving table”

Student Class Honorable Mention

Cabideiro Tripé, designed by Bárbara da Silva Pinto, Viamão (RS)

PUCRS | Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul

Master Teacher: Alexandre Monteiro de Barros

Judging panel’s opinion: “Interesting versatility for children’s furniture using 3D printing technology to produce components”

Professional Class Honorable Mention

Talipot, designed by Studio Dieedro by Jayme Bernardo for Saccaro, Caxias do Sul (RS)

Judging panel’s opinion: “The piece reinterprets outdoor furniture that traditionally is made of fibers and wicker, using cutting-edge technology in its manufacture process, resulting in visual lightness and light and shade effects”

Category: Positivist Experience Challenge

Student Class

Sofá Lote, designed by Miriam Emi Makinodan Shirozaki, Curitiba (PR)

UFPR | Universidade Federal do Paraná

Master Teacher Trophy: Gheysa Caroline Prado

Judging panel’s opinion: “The piece works well both in the domestic environment and in public spaces due to the comfort and practicality of the attached table. The backrest design allows it to be used individually or in groups”

Professional Class

Poltrona e pufe Arcos, designed by Leandro Garcia for Schuster Móveis & Design, Curitiba (PR)

Judging panel’s opinion: Featuring elegant light design, the visual displacement of the backrest indicates the comfort that the piece provides. The upholstery finish takes advantage of the proper use of wood”

Professional Class Honorable Mention

Pele, designed by Roberta Banqueri for Todo Indústria de Móveis, São Paulo (SP)

Judging panel’s opinion: “The sideboard, with various dimensions, explores an innovative and delicate solution for handles, which provides personality and movement”

Alternative Woods Award 

Banco Iris, designed by Marcelo Briza Bicudo for Butzke, São Paulo (SP)

Judging panel’s opinion: “An interesting piece for outdoor public spaces that combines the use of cumaru – wood indigenous to Amazonia, whose resistance and durability favor its use in outdoor areas – with the collection of solar energy for its LED lighting”

Service

Salão Design Award at Movelsul Brasil 2020

Exhibition of the award winners from March 16 – 19, 2020, 12 pm – 7 pm

Award ceremony on March 18, at 6 pm

Where: Parque de Eventos de Bento Gonçalves (Alameda Fenavinho, 481)

Free admission by registering. Open only to professional visitors.

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