Golden A' Design Award Winner 2020
Natalia Komarova's Infinity Armchair, recipient of the prestigious Golden A' Design Award in Furniture Design, represents a sophisticated investigation into the translation of abstract mathematical concepts into functional domestic objects. The designer demonstrates exceptional command of continuous line principles, whereby the armrest element flows in an unbroken trajectory that evokes the lemniscate symbol while simultaneously providing structural support and ergonomic embrace for the seated body. This work participates in contemporary furniture design traditions that seek to dissolve boundaries between sculpture and utility, echoing the investigations of mid-century organic modernism while advancing distinctly twenty-first century material and manufacturing possibilities. The presentation of three chromatic variations allows viewers to appreciate how surface treatment transforms perceptual experience while maintaining formal consistency, from the theatrical depth of saturated ultramarine to the sophisticated restraint of natural cream tones. The relationship between these voluptuous forms and their austere concrete environment creates productive tension that elevates appreciation for both vocabularies. One observes particular accomplishment in the seamless integration of disparate textile surfaces in the central bicolored example, where the meeting of warm and cool upholstery occurs with precision that suggests meticulous pattern-making and construction methodology. The circular drum base provides visual and structural stability while echoing the curvilinear language of the arms, creating formal coherence throughout the object's silhouette. Viewers might contemplate how the infinite loop motif speaks to continuity, return, and the cyclical nature of comfort-seeking in domestic space.
The main emphasis of the Infinity armchair design is made precisely on the backrest. It is the reference of the infinity symbol - an inverted figure of eight. It is as if it changes its shape when turning, setting the dynamics of the lines and recreating the infinity sign in several planes. The backrest is pulled together by several elastic bands that form an external loop, which also returns to the symbolism of the infinite cyclic of life and balance. An additional emphasis is placed on unique legs-skids that securely fix and support the side parts of the armchair just like clamps do.