Maris win Design Award at Saatchi
July 2010
Maris were invited by Vitra to take part in a competition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Panton chair. Designed by Verner Panton and described as one of the most significant chair designs of the 20th century, the design team were challenged to take part by customising their own chair.
The Maris Team wanted to celebrate the elegance of the design and went about creating a handcrafted sculptural adaptation, which focused on the chair’s profile that has made it a timeless classic. By elevating the composition we created a dynamic piece, with strokes of ‘gold’ to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
Over 35 entrants from the UK’s design elite entered the competition and all of the entries were exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery, where the competition winners were announced. The decorated chairs were auctioned off that night in aid of Shelter, the Housing and Homeless charity.
The judging panel comprised of Sir Terence Conran, Kevin McCloud and Charles Saatchi. Despite the very strong competition, Maris’ entry claimed third prize on the night and was described as an "art nouveau sculptural interest”.
The Maris chair was bought by Skandium and will be proudly on show in their store on the Brompton Road from the end of July.
