YPSILON wins Scandinavian Design Award for ‘Furniture of the Year’
In conjunction with Stockholm Furniture Fair, the Scandinavian Design Awards took place to celebrate the best design, architecture, and interior design in Scandinavia. One of the most prestigious awards, 'Furniture of the Year', was awarded to the YPSILON bench, designed by Daniel Rybakken for Vestre.
”It feels incredible and I feel very proud of the result of my first collaboration with Vestre. The Scandinavian Design Awards have had an incredibly competent jury and a very tough competition considering everything that has come from Scandinavia in the last year,” says Daniel Rybakken.
YPSILON, which was presented for the first time at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2023, is an architectural bench with a simple, but very stable, shape that does not feel visually large while offering a high level of comfort. It is discreetly understated, but at the same time instantly recognizable with its angled, linear and solid glulam beams, which rest on laser-cut and bent galvanized steel sheets. The angled beams have several functional advantages. They provide a very comfortable seat, while the slope allows water to quickly run off the bench rather than accumulate on it.
Daniel Rybakken says that he and Vestre's team worked hard to elevate the bench's details from classic outdoor furniture, which often has visible surface-mounted screws and bolts, to something more reminiscent of indoor furniture. The precision of the manufacturing also means that YPSILON fits just as well on a beautiful stone or marble floor indoors as in parks, squares, and other outdoor environments.
”I think the bench has several contradictions that make it interesting. It is simple and obvious, but at the same time, it feels new and unique. It is made of solid wood and thick laser-cut and bent steel, yet it feels light and elegant. Instead of a welded construction, the legs are cut and bent from a piece of steel not much bigger than an A3 paper,” says Rybakken and continues:
”The material contrasts are also interesting, both between the steel and the glulam and in the space between the beams of the seat. The bench is also proof of how much you can do with steel. Nothing in the main element of the base is welded, instead, the steel becomes like a folded paper. This highlights the quality of both steel and wood. I like innovation in form, where you can work with traditional materials in a simple way and still create something new.”
Although YPISLON was launched in 2023, it has existed longer in Rybakken's head. His first sketch of the bench is from the fall of 2015 and since then the idea has been with him and in his to-do lists. He also adds that the shape of the bench has not changed since the very first model he produced.
”I always try to stay away from trends, so I feel that the idea is as fresh today as it was in 2015.”
According to Rybakken, it was a natural choice that Vestre was approached to finally bring the bench to life.
”Vestre specializes in laser-cut steel. They have a holistic approach and deliver a lifetime guarantee against rust and a 15-year guarantee against rot. I also felt that YPSILON was a type of bench that was missing from their collection. I also like to say that I have been spoiled by starting my career working with Italians. They are meticulous, and fast, have a close dialog with production, and have a great passion for what they do. The same can be said of Vestre.”
YPSILON is available in both a straight and a round version and can be equipped with both armrests and backrests, as well as a smooth metal table top. The seat is available in either impregnated pine or ash.
