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Platinum Winner of the Design Skill Awards 2024

Mantis collection of outdoor chairs and benches

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Furniture
Best Outdoor & Patio Furniture Design
Concept
Professional Category
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Architect / Designer:

Leyla Miftakhova and Marina Yarmarkina

Studio:

UTRO studio

Design Team:

Leyla Miftakhova, Marina Yarmarkina, Anastasiya Chaladze

The Mantis collection of outdoor chairs and benches embodies the core values of our architectural studio — harmony with nature, meticulous attention to detail and a passion for color, form and playfulness. In designing this furniture line, we set two primary goals. First, the furniture had to feature a minimalist and functional design, making it versatile enough to complement environments and projects of different styles and purposes. Second, it had to stand out as unique, offering something distinct from the existing market solutions.

The collection includes outdoor chairs and benches, both with and without armrests. The seating surfaces can be made from either wooden elements or recycled plastic, and all pieces are available in a range of vibrant colors. The design of the benches draws inspiration from nature, specifically the structure of mantis bodies. We chose the mantis as our muse because of its fascinating body structure: the insect appears to visually balance in the air, supported by a sturdy yet elegant lower section, while the upper part seems to float. This sense of movement and constant balancing is what we sought to capture in our design.

Following the Zerowaste principles, we aimed to create an adaptive bench design that allows for easy repairs — replacing lost elements and making partial replacements instead of having to replace the entire piece of outdoor furniture. Additionally, the variety of colors and textures in the furniture line enables effortless transformations of the overall look of public spaces.

UTRO studio

Founded in 2015 UTRO architectural studio offers solutions in architecture, landscape, spatial development and product design. We are experts in improvement of public spaces, revitalisation of historic buildings and areas and inventing unique designs for projects of different scales.

We are interested in creating projects that fundamentally change the urban environment. We strive to maximise natural elements in urban development, increase biodiversity and reduce resource consumption.