Alba is Good Design

TON’s new upholstered collection Alba, designed by Alexander Gufler and introduced at last year’s Salone del Mobile trade fair, has been commended once again. The collection was chosen for the Furniture category in the 67th Good Design awards program, the oldest and most prestigious worldwide competition in design.  

“After being named a Winner in the German Design Award 2018 and receiving the Best New Furniture title at Designblok 2017, Alba’s Good Design Award is another confirmation that we got it right with our first fully upholstered collection. In addition to the designer, we must praise our colleagues in the manufacturing department, especially the upholsterers,” explains Jan Juza, TON’s Marketing Director. That’s because one of Alba’s greatest appeals is its quality and comfort, made possible by precision finishing work and the use of pocket springs and PUR foam. Used in orthopaedic mattresses, the materials allow the furniture to hold its shape and remain firm and stable even with intensive use.

“I come from Italy, and perhaps that’s why I’m always in search of quality food and drink establishments. The philosophy and atmosphere of top restaurants influenced my work on this collection,” explained the designer Alexander Gufler. As a result the collection combines timeless design with a range of fresh details. “Alba’s defining elements are the unity of the seat and the wooden leg construction. The bottom of the backrest hugs the base of the armchair and extends below the oval-shaped seat,” added Gufler. Gastronomy also inspired the name of the collection – Alba is a city in the Italian Piedmont region famed for its white truffles.

About the award

Good Design is the oldest and most prestigious worldwide awards program in design. Established in Chicago in 1950, the awards program is organised annually by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design in collaboration with the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. The program evaluates the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product and graphic designs from all over the world.

Alexander Gufler

Born in the Italian town of Merano, Alexander is currently based in Vienna. He began his education as a jewellery student in Pforzheim, Germany, but in 2003 his focus shifted to industrial design. Alexander then continued his studies at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna under the tutelage of professors Bořek Šípek, Ross Lovegrove, Hartmut Esslinger and Paulo Pivo. Since 2004 he has collaborated on AWS Design Vienna projects, and his work has been exhibited in Cologne, Tokyo, London, Prague and Barcelona. In addition to designing the Alba collection for TON, Alexander has designed the successful Merano product range and the Lasa and Stelvio tables.