Gloster's Axis wins reddot honors

Designs from 57 nations competed this year

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 7/29/2010 10:21:00 AM

Essen, Germany — Stunning lines and sharp looks were a winning combination for Gloster

Furniture's new Axis collection, which received an international reddot award

for product design.

With its outstanding and innovative design, the teak Axis collection

impressed the jury of one of the most prestigious international design

competitions. In the reddot award: product design 2010, Axis was awarded the

reddot quality label for high design quality by the jury consisting of

top-class experts.

Upon close inspection, Axis' simple, visually lightweight frame becomes a

complex and unique union of asymmetric angles. Designed by London-based

designer Mark Gabbertas, Axis' solid teak, sled-style frame and stylish

angles are echoed throughout the line. Broad, horizontally slatted seats

combine with gently curving slatted backs to ensure comfort, while optional

cushions offer further indulgence if required.

"Axis represents a new design aesthetic for outdoor furniture, but also meets

the specific and extreme constructional demands of this typology, including

the ability to be flat packed," Gabbertas said. "The design of the lead item,

the dining chair, is based on a trapezoid, and this slender frame section is

achievable as the result of the natural strength of this structure. This is

balanced by the considered use of generous solid teak section for the back

and seat, which convey comfort, strength, solidarity and quality."

The Axis collection offers a dining range consisting of two dining tables and

chairs as well as a deep seating range including an armchair, ottoman, sofa

and two side tables made from plantation grown teak.

The Axis dining armchair is also available in solid mahogany with a painted

sable color finish fully suited to outdoor use. The chair is complemented by

a striking smoked glass top dining table with matching painted under frame. 

Axis sable items are manufactured using kiln dried mahogany timber and are

hand-painted with multiple coats of marine-grade paint to give a hard wearing

and durable outdoor finish.

"All products (that) have won an award in the reddot design award had to

convince an international expert jury of their quality," said Peter Zec, a

design expert and professor who initiated the reddot deign award. "The

products stand out from the masses with their excellent design and innovative

approaches and proved their quality in one of the toughest design

competitions worldwide."

This year, designers and companies from 57 nations with a total of 4,252

products took part in the "reddot award: product design."

Together with the other award-winning products, Axis will be on display from

July 6-Aug. 1 in the "Design on stage - winners reddot award : product design

2010" exhibition at the reddot design museum on the premises of the ‘Zeche

Zollverein' World Cultural Heritage Site in Essen, Germany. After that, it

will be presented in the reddot design museum's permanent exhibition for at

least one year. With approximately 1,500 products on nearly 45,000 square

feet, the reddot design museum houses the largest permanent exhibition of

contemporary design worldwide.

For more information, visit www.red-dot.de or www.gloster.com.