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Egoundesign, a Bologna studio operated by nine under-35s, won third prize in the SaloneSatellite Award 2024 with its Voronoi project, a set of 3D-printed brass cups. Organized as a part of Salone del Mobile in Milan, the annual award recognizes the most deserving of the emerging designers taking part in the exhibition, now being held for the 25th time.
The Voronoi collection is the first 3D-printed product in pure brass. The meditative and fun Zen art of rock balancing inspired these small drinking vessels, which can be stacked using a system of magnets. With their different shapes and faceting, the cups invite you to play with them and explore new ways of balancing them to create different interactions and patterns.
The name Voronoi and the shape of the cups draw their inspiration from the microscopic structure of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, and from its atomic charge distribution according to a Voronoi diagram, a tessellation technique that can model recurring patterns in nature.
Voronoi is a revisitation of the traditional craft material of brass made possible by innovative technology developed through collaboration between Egoundesign and 3D4Mec, the first company in the world to create industrial 3D printers for brass.
Using L-PBF (laser-powder bed fusion) technology, parts are 3D printed by melting and then solidifying powdered brass with a laser. This process makes it possible to create intricate shapes that are light without compromising the strength of the product. Using its Automatic Recovery technology, patented by 3D4Mec, 98% of the raw material is used, reducing waste to a minimum.
Voronoi continues Egoundesign’s experimentation with 3D printing, which it started in 2021 with the CENTO3 writing set, and a 2001 design by Achille Castiglioni and Gianfranco Cavaglià, created in collaboration with the Achille Castiglioni Foundation.
Deformation Under Pressure, a lamp by Chinese studio Ololoo, won first prize in the SaloneSatellite Award. Second place went to the Veliero bookcase by architect Filippo Andrighetto, who works between Italy and Denmark. A special mention was given to Tunisian trio Mohamed Romani, Chems Eddine Mechri, and Ahmed Bssilaper for their Fibra lamp.
Led by Paola Antonelli, senior curator of MoMA’s Department of Architecture and Design in New York, the jury selected the four winning projects from over one hundred entries by focusing on the innovation of processes and traditions, along with commitment to sustainable thinking and environmental protection.
The trophy, a metal sculpture inspired by Bruno Munari’s Chair for a Very Brief Visit and created by the artist Daniele Basso, was presented to the winners by Marva Griffin Wilshire, founder and curator of SaloneSatellite.
>>> Salone del Mobile 2024 runs through Sunday, April 21, at the Fiera Milano exhibition complex in Rho.
Photography by Sebastian Quadrelli, courtesy of Egoundesign
