Winner
German Design Award 2016
The FELIX SCHWAKE desk was awarded the German Design Award in 2016 by the German Design Council. The project exemplifies a design approach that understands function, materiality, and spatial calmness as interconnected architectural tasks.
The design follows a consistently reduced formal language. Visible technical elements are deliberately avoided, allowing the desk to maintain its clear spatial order even during active use.
A central element of the design is the extendable work surface. Beneath it are integrated storage areas as well as multimedia and connectivity interfaces. Functions are therefore fully incorporated into the construction while remaining immediately accessible.
The project does not pursue the visual staging of technology. Instead, it focuses on the conscious reduction of visual unrest within the working environment. Architecture and furniture are understood as a background for concentrated work — not as a permanent visual assertion.
The clear external geometry therefore exists in deliberate relationship to the complex functions concealed within the object. Technology, cable management, and work materials recede spatially without limiting usability. It is precisely this complete integration that forms the basis of the project’s calm spatial effect.
Materiality, precision, and craftsmanship are of central importance within the design. Light, surfaces, and proportion influence the perception of the object just as much as its functionality. The desk is not understood as an isolated individual piece, but as part of a larger architectural atmosphere.
The German Design Award particularly recognized this connection between reduced design, functional rigor, and enduring spatial quality.
The work of Felix Schwake consciously positions itself between architecture, interior design, and functional art. Design is understood not as a short-lived visual appearance, but as a lasting spatial experience within everyday life.