The Flex chair by Andreu World wins a Red Dot 2013 prize

The judges praised the innovative, aesthetic and functional qualities of this piece by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga.

The Flex chair, created by the Italian designer Piergiorgio Cazzaniga and made by Spanish manufacturer Andreu World, has won a prestigious Red Dot product design prize this year.

The Flex collection was chosen out of over 4,600 designs by a panel of 37 judges (all professionals), who meticulously considered each project, subjecting it to the strictest criteria when assessing its quality. More specifically, the panel spotted Flex’s innovative quality and its profound research into functionality and aesthetics, which allow it to offer a wide choice of features as well as a look that’s both highly individual and pleasing to the eye. Having received this award, Flex will form part of the permanent collection of the Red Dot Museum in Essen, which displays over 1,500 influential designs from all over the world.

Flex is a highly functional chair with a seat and backrest made of a thermo-polymer, a plastic reinforced by fibreglass. It’s been designed for long-term use in public spaces, lengthening its life in optimum conditions. What’s more its backrest and seat bend in a controlled way when the user sits on it, in a movement similar to that of the spine. This makes Flexa extremely ergonomic, as does a series of horizontal grooves in the backrest which allows it to bend smoothly. This in turn makes it comfortable to sit on for long periods. This collection has been designed according to criteria that help protect the environment since it’s made using entirely recyclable materials. Flex’s strength, durability and health and safety features all meet the most exacting international standards set by ISO, which ensures that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality, and the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers’ Association (BIFMA).

The Red Dot design prize – which has been awarded annually in Essen, Germany, since 1955 – is one of the most prestigious, international prizes in the design world. Its aim is to recognise high quality and innovation in the field of product design on an international scale. Various Spanish products have won this high-profile prize in the past few years. In 2012 alone, several Spanish firms, among them Actiu, Lzf Lamps, Santa & Cole as well as Andreu World, have won the award.