Rheda-Wiedenbrück, 10 February 2026. Premium furniture manufacturer COR is setting new standards in furniture design with the Kagu wooden upholstered chair, honoured with the German Design Award 2026 in the “Excellent Product Design – Furniture” category. The expert jury highlighted the design’s uncompromising reduction to the essentials, along with the chair’s remarkable lightness. “The Kagu chair combines clear lines with a carefully considered design that harmoniously unites the central wooden cross and the seemingly floating seat shell. Its balance of aesthetic elegance, functionality and exceptional seating comfort is what sets this piece apart among the award-winning projects,” the jury stated.
The German Design Award, presented by the German Design Council, is one of Germany’s most internationally recognised design awards. It regards design quality as a key driver of innovation and highlights the strategic importance of design in strengthening brands and their commercial success. The award underscores COR’s position as a driving force in the German furniture design landscape and recognises the successful combination of contemporary furniture design, quality, functionality and sustainability.
Solid design ethics
“Our design furniture has been living up to the quality expectations of German-made products since 1954,” said Leo Lübke, Managing Partner at COR. Since then, the family-run company has focussed on a timeless and distinctive design language, high-quality materials, craftsmanship and precision. COR has a special relationship with the German Design Council, which promotes and communicates design achievements. Even COR’s founder Helmut Lübke, who led the company until 1994, believed that this design competition to honour outstanding products played a valuable role, not only by inspiring designers and manufacturers, but also by encouraging ethical practice. The belief that “design is attitude” continues to be expressed in COR’s durable furniture today. It was formulated in 2003 in Frankfurt’s St Paul’s Church to mark the 50th anniversary of the German Design Council by the then President Helmut Lübke.
