Focus on: Salone Satellite Award 2013

The creative energy of the young designers who participated this year at the Salone Satellite 2013 has been rewarded: design meets tradition to seek new interactions with industrial production.

The symbol of this edition and winner of the first prize is Tania da Cruz, a young girl of Portuguese origin who captured the attention of visitors and especially of the judges with her originality.

With her product, named after and inspired by the famous artist Braque, Tania has transformed canvas into wall by using one of the most widely used materials in her homeland: cork. Thus an environmentally friendly, 100% natural material with wide ranging properties becomes a modular acoustic panel with excellent thermal and acoustic insulation properties. Thanks to the simple and geometrical form, you can freely customize the modules on walls or ceilings, creating a great graphic and decorative impact.

The room soundproofing system 'Braque' is an interdisciplinary project that meets important design requirements and exploits a highly sustainable material like cork highlights with a valid aesthetic solution.

Runner up was ReStudio, the three Egyptian girl team of Mariam Hazem, Hend Riyadh, Hadwa Omran who tackled - and won - the challenge of re-using an often overlooked material like plastic bags.

The Plastex fabric changes the meaning of the material and becomes a strong, durable, water resistant and sun, sand and dust-tolerant fabric, revitalizing the field of local Egyptian weaving and conveys an important message of ethical responsibility in a direct and concrete manner.

Taking advantage of the natural reflective properties of glass, the Taiwanese designer Hanhsi Chen of Poetic LAB won third prize with the Wave lamp. The result is a simple device in which light, glass and movement create a synergy.

There were also three honourable mentions: Andrea Borgogni for the Maybe chair, Matias Ruiz for the Stick 210 lamp, Mecedorama for the Hobbs chair.

Maybe is a clever combination of practical use and manufacture, in addition to using a minimum of materials and components. The result is an easy to store and to transport product, suitable for those wanting to invest in a product which can adapt to changes in market requests.

Stick 210 was created from a desire to develop a lamp using two elements together: wood and climbing rope. This lamp is a perfect functional and aesthetic interpretation giving a touch of originality to contemporary style.

The double rocking chair Hobbs Twins celebrates the marriage of ancient techniques and contemporary forms. With a playful message it manages to indicate new applications and ways to develop techniques that risk oblivion. The designers of Mecedorama follow all the processes from design to welding and final production, strictly by hand, and to the taste of the user.