Winner
Iconic Award Special 2018

The “DESK I-I” by Felix Schwake received the ICONIC AWARDS distinction in 2018.

The work emerged from the exploration of a fundamental architectural question: How can an object support concentrated work without constantly demanding attention itself? The design understands the workspace not as a technical accumulation of visible functions, but as a calm spatial structure.

The design follows a reduced geometric order. Functions, storage, and technical requirements are fully integrated into the form itself, allowing for a clear and focused working atmosphere to emerge. What remains visible above all is the calmness of the surface itself.

The reduction does not serve a merely formal gesture. Rather, it creates a deliberate concentration on use, material, and perception. Architecture and design are understood as a background for thinking and working — not as permanent visual staging.

The “Desk I-I” consciously positions itself between architecture, interior design, and functional art. The work is not intended merely to be observed, but to be used and physically experienced. Materiality, proportion, and spatial effect are regarded as equally significant as the function itself.

The distinction through the ICONIC AWARDS also reflects an international discourse surrounding reduced and materially oriented design. The focus lies not on decorative complexity, but on clarity, use, and atmospheric quality.

The work therefore documents a continuous design attitude that understands architecture not as image production, but as the conscious organization of space, material, and human experience.