The Chicago Athenaeum Announces 2008 Good Design Awards

Planna, a reconfigurable floating work surface, draws inspiration from architect Tadao Ando.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 1/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Questionmark chair by Stefan Heilinger for Italian manufacturer Tonon & C

Each year, a massive amount of industrial, product, and graphic designs are unveiled on the global market: Looking for the showstoppers of 2008? The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies have named the recipients of the 58th annual Good Design awards. The exclusive awards program, a nod to innovation and cutting-edge creativity, includes winners in 23 categories this year, among them furniture, textiles, the environment, bath and accessories, and kitchen/appliances.


The Rosette Acoustic Wall Panel by Anne Kyyrö Quinn

Winning products in the furniture category include two by office furniture manufacturer Inscape: the Planna casegood system and the Fronté movable storefront wall system. Designed as a reconfigurable floating work surface, Planna draws inspiration from architect Tadao Ando. A movable storefront wall system, Fronté is quickly assembled, thanks to a small kit of parts.


Hum. Minds at Work casegood system by Ed Burak and Jay Henriott for Kimball Office

Additional notable winners include the colorful and flirtatious Questionmark chair by Stefan Heilinger for Italian manufacturer Tonon & C, the innovative Rosette Acoustic Wall Panel by Anne Kyyrö Quinn, and the flexible and LEED-certified Hum. Minds at Work casegood system by Ed Burak and Jay Henriott for Kimball Office.


The Fronté movable storefront wall system by Inscape

Want to get on the list next year? The Chicago Athenaeum and Metropolitan Arts Press are now seeking submissions to the 2009 Good Design Awards Program. Entries--industrial, product, and graphic designs produced and/or designed from January 2007 to the present--are due July 1.

The Good Design Awards Program was founded in 1950 by Edgar J. Kaufmann, Jr., former curator of the Museum of Modern Art.

Images courtesy of the Chicago Athenaeum