Designer: Athanasios Babalis
Country: Greece
Selected Awards: BIG SEE Awards, 2019, 2018 Green Good Design Award, 2011 EBGE Award, 2011
Born in 1965 in Thessaloniki, Greece, Athanasios Babalis began his education in engineering before discovering his passion for design. He moved to London to study Industrial and Furniture Design at London Metropolitan University, later earning a Master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in 1996.
His career started while he was still a student, designing furniture for local businesses. After graduation, he spent seven years in New York, working with companies including Dakota Jackson Inc.One of his most challenging early projects was designing a piano for Steinway in 2000, a process that required an entire year of meetings, experimentation, and refinement.
A lasting influence on his work was legendary Italian designer Vico Magistretti, who taught him at the Royal College of Art and encouraged a simple, thoughtful, and sometimes humorous approach to solving design problems. Among Babalis’s recognized projects is the award-winning Votrys Gift Packaging for Domaine Gerovassiliou wines. Yet, for him, the greatest achievement is not winning awards but seeing people genuinely enjoy his creations.
Athanasios Babalis is among the designers featured in Creative Balkans: Contemporary Furniture Design.
“Good design is intuitive, efficient, and enhances the user’s experience. It is visually appealing and the result of teamwork and a shared vision.“
Name: Aura+ Chair
Producer: Anesis Comfortable Design
Year of prodiction: 2022
Provided for the exhibition by: Anesis Comfortable Design
Dimensions: 55 X 65 X 83
Designed by Athanasios Babalis for Anesis, Aura+ Chair takes shape around a broad, curved backrest. Its sweeping timber surface contrasts with the pale grey upholstery, while slender, splayed legs give the chair a light stance.
