Buildner is pleased to announce the results of its third annual Architect's Chair Competition, which received excellent ideas from around the globe. Buildner has published two books on the topic, highlighting key ideas and outstanding projects from its past editions. With registration now open, we invite you to share your vision of the ideal chair by September 18th—submit your entry here.
Chair design exemplifies the interdisciplinary nature of architecture, showcasing architects' ability to adapt skills and sensibilities across scales and contexts, blurring the lines between architecture, design, and art. This versatility empowers architects to explore new ideas and challenge conventional notions of chair aesthetics, materials, and technology.
The Architect's Chair Competition is an annual international design competition that invites architects and designers worldwide to submit designs for a signature chair. Following in the footsteps of iconic figures like Charles and Ray Eames, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer, and Arne Jacobsen, participants are tasked with creating custom chairs that reflect their unique design philosophies and visions.
Jury
Buildner worked with an outstanding team of jurors representing the fields of architecture, product design, and furniture design, to evaluate the submissions based on functionality and comfort, aesthetics and signature style, materiality, craftsmanship and construction, and versatility.
- Boris Berlin, a designer and partner of Copenhagen-based Boris Berlin Design;
- Anne Brandhøj, a partner at the furniture design studio Bly Studio who also works with wood sculptures under her own name;
- Sarah Hossli, a product designer based in Lucerne, Switzerland;
- Lorenz Noelle, a product designer based in Switzerland;
- Alexander Lervik, one of Sweden's most well-known designers;
- Natalia Sanz Laviña and Takeshi Yamamura, cofounders of Tokyo-based YSLA YamamuraSanzLaviña Architects;
- Fabien Roy, a Swiss product designer
- Harrison Stallan, an architect with the Rotterdam-based firm OMA
Buildner's other ongoing competitions include The Unbuilt Award 2025 celebrating visionary architectural designs that have yet to be realized, open to architects, designers, and students worldwide, with a €100,000 prize fund; the Howard Waterfall Retreat competition invites participants to design a multi-generational family retreat on a forested site in Pennsylvania, USA, that respects the site's natural beauty and historical significance; and the 2024/25 House of the Future competition organized in collaboration with the government of Dubai, which features a 250,000 EUR prize fund and invites architects to design innovative, sustainable, and technologically advanced residential concepts that embody Dubai's vision for the future of urban living, where winning submissions are to be constructed.
Projects:
First Prize Winner + Buildner Student Award
Project title: Risus
Authors: Olivier Lacroix, in collaboration with William Deschamps, Université de Québec à Montréal, Canada
The Risus Side Chair is a wooden chair designed with a refined silhouette, inspired by the curves and angles of existing seating forms that were digitally scanned to enhance ergonomics and structural stability. Its trapezoidal shape provides better weight distribution, while the Douglas fir wood from British Columbia highlights natural grain patterns. Constructed using both traditional woodworking and CNC machining, the seat and backrest are shaped for comfort, with legs and joints crafted on a lathe. Assembled with dowels and treated with a non-toxic finish, the chair prioritizes sustainability. The name "Risus," meaning smile in Latin, references the curved backrest, designed to provide ergonomic support while maintaining a simple, modern aesthetic suitable for various environments.
Second Prize Winner
Project title: Tom
Author: Reggy St-Surin, Canada
The Tom chair is a sculptural seating piece characterized by bold colors and organic, rounded shapes. Designed to stand out, its abstract form gives it a playful, almost creature-like presence. Constructed with a laminated wooden frame, it is upholstered by hand using polyurethane foam and covered in a velvet fabric blend of wool, polyester, and nylon. The combination of materials ensures durability and flexibility, allowing the fabric to conform smoothly to its curved shape. The design process involved prototyping with cardboard and wood to refine proportions and upholstery techniques. Tom challenges traditional seating by prioritizing form and character alongside function.
Third Prize Winner
Project title: Balance Chair
Author: Niklas Fiedler, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (KADK), Netherlands
The Balance Chair incorporates subtle movement to promote better posture and engagement. It features a forward tilt of eight degrees, encouraging an upright sitting position for improved focus, while allowing users to lean back into a stable resting position. Constructed from ash wood, it has a double-curved plywood seat for comfort and a 45-degree leg structure that integrates movement without compromising stability. Replacing a standard cross stabilizer with a floor-level sled base, the design maintains a minimal aesthetic while supporting natural posture adjustments. Suitable for various environments, it provides ergonomic benefits through controlled motion.
Buildner Sustainability Prize Winner
Project title: Bäuer:innenstuhl
Author: Nicklas Coombe Potter and Esra Heuermann, Germany
The Bäuer:innenstuhl is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional "Bauernstuhl," a simple wooden chair commonly found in Alpine regions. Constructed from solid wood, it features an angular structure with a split backrest, maintaining a balance between rustic craftsmanship and modern aesthetics. The design embraces traditional joinery while avoiding metal fasteners and chemical treatments, enhancing sustainability. Developed through a community-based approach, it promotes local material sourcing and upcycling. The chair's production emphasizes low-waste processes and CO₂ reduction. By integrating historical elements with modern needs, the Bäuer:innenstuhl serves as both functional seating and a reflection of evolving design traditions.
Highlighted submissions
Project title: Navan Chair
Authors: Omid Shafigh Khatibi, Keenan David Boliek-Poling and Kristin Ross from United States
The Navân Chair is crafted from two distinct walnut trees, using careful cutting, folding, and joining to preserve grain patterns and minimize waste. Stainless steel rods and mortise and tenon joinery connect the wood, balancing natural warmth and engineered precision. A 9-degree recline promotes ergonomic comfort. The chair's simple, austere form fits private and public settings alike. Its design required careful workflow planning, where prototypes and material feedback guided adjustments. The project embraces essentialism and material honesty, allowing wood and process to shape the final form. "Navân" symbolizes the seamless merging of two distinct natural identities.
Project title: Enough chair
Author: Ha Jin Soo from South Korea
The Enough Chair is made from walnut wood using steam bending and traditional Korean joinery techniques. It features a minimalist design combined with curves inspired by Korean rooflines. The ergonomic form offers comfort, while the warm tones of walnut add natural sophistication. Clean lines and smooth surfaces emphasize its simplicity. The construction highlights traditional craftsmanship without ornamentation. This chair balances cultural heritage with modern design principles, resulting in a functional yet refined piece. Its silhouette subtly references traditional Korean architecture, merging contemporary minimalism with historical influence.
Registration is now open—submit your vision of the ideal chair here by September 18th and take part in the exploration of thoughtful design.
