The “Algarvian” cradle made entirely of “Sleep Tight” cork won second prize in the international Green Furniture Award competition. Architects Karin Pereira and Sofia Chinita, who presented the project to the competition, received the award this Friday, in a ceremony that took place in Italy.
“We are proud of this result that rewards our intellectual autonomy and creative effort. We share this happiness with all those who share our satisfaction», declared the architects, after the ceremony, in a reaction sent to the Sul Informação.
This cradle is at the center of a controversy, with its authors being accused of plagiarism by another pair of architects, who allege that their professional colleagues copied a model already in existence since 2007, named 'Simon Egg' and registered by them in 2013 at the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market.
An accusation that the authors of «Sleep Tight» reject, assuring that they did not know the cradle designed by Vasco Afonso and João Mourão. On the other hand, they consider that the two projects are "clearly distinct".
This controversy did not make it impossible for the cradle to participate in the renowned international competition. The prototype of the «Sleep Tight» was built by the artisan António Luz, as part of the project TASA – Técnicas Ancestralis, Soluções Ayours», launched by the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission and whose management is currently under the responsibility of the company ProAtiveTur.
In a note published last Thursday, the competition organizers said they were aware of the controversy (through the legal representatives of Vasco Afonso and João Mourão), justifying that they had not identified the potential conflict before due to the fact that the birthplace «Simon Egg» not yet be on the market.
“The two designs are similar as a basic concept, but with distinct details, and whether or not both can coexist is something that cannot be determined in the space of a few days (Green Furniture Award ends tomorrow), has to be established between the designers and/or the companies that will produce it”, considers the organization of the competition, in a note published on the official website.
“The Green Furniture Award prize money for the Sleep Tight crib will not be paid until it is established whether or not the two designs can coexist. If Sleep Tight remains a product after that, you will receive the prize. Otherwise, the prize will carry over to next year's competition (the Simon Egg crib cannot receive the Green Furniture Award 2014, even if it will be the only cork crib model after this, as it did not participate in the competition)» , they add.
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