The Leaf Chair and Barstool was awarded the German Design Award Winner Title

This year, the TON Company´s novelty product, the Leaf Collection, scored well in the German Design Award 2017 Competition. The chair and barstool, by the Italian E-GGS Studio was awarded the Winner´s title.

"When designing, we primarily considered products that would be lightweight, rational - and at the same time, would address the issue of TON and its connection with nature. For us, a rational product is one that correctly balances between the inspiration and the actual production processes," said Gaia Giotti of the E-GGS designer duo. That is why the Leaf Collection contains a number of elements that emerged directly from the production process conditions – for instance, by using the same type of moulded seat for the chair and barstool. "However, they are not used in the same way in the models; we were able to play around with different ways of locating them. We believe that the jury appreciated these aspects," said Gaia Giotti when evaluated their choice.

Leaf Collection reflects perception of trees - a solid base, topped with delicate leaves. These ideas were adapted for the chairs and barstools, in which the supporting structure is made of solid wood, topped with a seat and backrest of optically lightweight, moulded plywood. Apart from the tree-like characteristics, the products were also inspired by their shapes. "Specifically, the leaves - this theme can be found in the cross-section of the backrest," said Gaia Giotti in explanation.

During the development process, we placed great emphasis on the ergonomics and construction´s strength – which was tested up to a weight of one hundred and thirty kilograms in a cycle of nearly half a million simulated sitting down actions. Thus, the Leaf Collection can meet the challenging environment operating in restaurants as well as private interiors.