The winners of the imm cologne Pure Talents design competition for recently graduated design students have been revealed.
The competition attracted more than 500 entries, before being reduced to 20 finalists, full details of which are featured in the March 2022 issue of Interiors Monthly, which you can read by clicking here.
The first prize when to Stefanie Kay for her Helia lamp, a minimalist lamp with different lighting moods.
With her Helia lamp, Kay aims to bring more variable light to the user’s daily routine by combining mood and task lighting in a single product. ‘An attractive, fuss-free, conical design that the user can convert from ambient light to a spotlight for reading by means of a simple, self-explanatory gesture. A minimalist lamp with different lighting moods,’ says the judging panel. The light source in the slanted, swivelling head either emits a direct beam to one side or shines downwards into the semi-transparent body of the lamp to create a diffuse, scattered light, turning Helia into a sculptural lamp that resembles a cone of light hovering above the table.
The second prize went to Pebbles by Rania Elkalla, coat hangers, collectibles or wall art.
Pebbles is a set of decorative hangers for everyday items with a small, concealed storage compartment on the back and sides for little things like keys, lipsticks and jewellery. ‘First and foremost, it was the aesthetic, colourfulness and materiality of the hanger system that we found so compelling. In addition to providing a storage function, the arrangement of multiple elements results in an attractive wall decoration with spontaneous appeal,’ says the judging panel. The materiality of the Pebbles played a decisive role in the jury’s decision as well: they consist of egg and nut shell waste. In addition to being sustainable, the material combines an intriguing look and feel with a mineral-like quality that gives the home accessories a unique character.
The third prize went to Clap by François Lafortune, public furniture with private storage space.
Clap is a robustly constructed stackable chair that can be placed on top of tables while the floor is being cleaned and has a lockable storage compartment under its fold-up seat. Lafortune created the chair as a study that explores the individual usage of public furniture. ‘The chair picks up on a furniture typology that’s very familiar from school and teaching contexts and tackles it in a very elegant way – and that goes for both the design and the details,’ says the judging panel. A very functional design which, in principle, seems feasible in a lot of different materials, as well as seeming sustainable thanks to its repairability and the fact that the individual elements are easy to separate. ‘The aesthetic qualities of this design succeed in toning down the school-like character; as a result, the chair is suitable for other contexts like co-working environments or private settings as well.’
