Honorable Mention 2017 / Home Interior Products / Professional

Malevich

• Company
  Studio Niko Kapa, United Arab Emirates
• Lead Designer
  Niko Kapa
• Design Team
• Client
  Dorma Dubai
• Project Link
  view

Flexible use of space is the fundamental idea behind the
design of this table, which is intended to serve utilitarian,
logistical, and aesthetic functions simultaneously.

The versatility of the structure is pragmatic for compact
portability and reshaping environments for contemporary living
and working. The design allows the table to migrate between
different settings and respond to moods and needs from
dining and home-office within the domestic landscape.

The main goal of designing this piece of furniture was to
develop a technique that could solve problems of storage,
transportation and assemblage. This began with the
sustainable idea of looking at how to make the most from the
use of space for living and working and how to transform these
spaces to suit many types of use.

Forms are joined together to create a lightweight yet extremely
rigid structure. Task lighting feature is conceived as an
interlocking element of the tabletop which when closed it is
flush with the table’s surface. This establishes a relationship
between the parts of the assembly and initiates the tactile
interaction with the user.

The plywood legs have been intended to give a sense of
lightness and purity by differentiating in form from the tectonic
surface. They are retractable in order to allow the table to be
converted to a flat piece of minimum thickness, allowing
further modular storage.

The table is sent out in flat box thus reducing packaging
volume in order to optimize logistics. Furniture is extremely
compact when folded and it saves space in storage and energy
in transportation. This translates to less shipping, less fuel,
less pollution and less waste. Its assembly takes a minute and
needs no tools or further construction by the customer.

The design draws inspiration from the work of Kazimir
Malevich.

Bio
Niko Kapa is an award winning Architect, Industrial Designer and Researcher based in Dubai. He is the founder of Studio Niko Kapa, a multidisciplinary team that supports innovation using research as an integral part of the design process. The practice balances between architecture and product design, embracing the language of functionality, construction efficiency, and brand identity.

Other prizes
International Design Award, Gold Prize (Architecture-Landmarks), Los Angeles 2017 International Design Award, Gold Prize (Architecture-Conceptual) / Los Angeles 2017 International Design Award, Bronze Prize (Architecture-Sustainability) / Los Angeles 2017 International Design Award, Bronze Prize (Architecture-Institutional) / Los Angeles 2017 Red Dot Award, Shortlisted, Singapore 2017 Audi Innovation Award, 3rd Prize, Dubai 2017 AIA Emerging Professionals, Laureate, Washington, D.C. 2017 European Product Design Award, Platinum Prize (Transportation), Brussels 2017 European Product Design Award, Silver Prize (Home Interior Products), Brussels 2017 European Product Design Award, Honourable Mention (Interior Furniture), Brussels 2017 German Design Award, Special Mention, Frankfurt 2017 AIA Middle East Design Award, Merit Award, Cairo 2016 Spark International Award, Gold Prize, New York 2016 DAF Award, Shortlisted, New Delhi 2016 Iconic Award, Best of Best, Munich 2016 American Architecture Prize, Bronze Prize (Institutional Architecture) / New York 2016 Asia Architecture Award, 2nd Prize (Innovative Design), Austria 2016 DA Industrial Design Award, Winner, Italy 2016 RTF Sustainability Award, 1st Prize (Cultural Architecture), India 2016 RTF Sustainability Award, 1st Prize (Sports & Recreation Architecture), India 2016 RTF Sustainability Award, 3rd Prize (Mixed Use Architecture), India 2016 WAN Award, Longlist (Future Projects), United Kingdom 2016 A’ Design Award, Bronze Prize (Social Design), Italy 2016 Florim Exhib-it!, Finalist, Milan 2016 International Architecture Design Award, Silver Prize, Italy 2015 International Green Design Award, Silver Prize, Italy 2015 Future of Shade Competition, 1st Prize, New York 2015 A’ Design Award, Silver Prize (Futuristic Design), Italy 2015 Natural Systems Competition, Special Mention, New York 2013 Yamaha Xenter Design Award, Laureate 2012 WA Awards, Laureate 2010