Objects

ARCHITECTURE strengthens product design. SOLAR ENERGY attracts new applications. The MARKET STALL gets an update. CUSTOMIZATION becomes co-creation. Discover new directions in the world of products.

Design graduates take a PARTICIPATORY APPROACH to bespoke furniture

CONSTRUCTION

– Custom furniture used to be beyond the budget of the ordinary design enthusiast. Today, myriad possibilities are available on the market: pieces that can be tailored to suit almost anyone’s taste, needs and lifestyle. The shift towards less predefined furniture shows that designing and buying, or vice versa, are no longer disconnected processes. Despite the amalgamation, the buyer’s influence is often limited to the choice of colour and material, and perhaps a selection of add-ons. At this year’s graduation shows, however, flexible furniture collections and systems offered diverse levels of consumer involvement, making both the purchasing experience and the follow-up more playful, dynamic and participatory than ever. – CB

Kingston University graduate FERN TOYNTON dismisses nails and screws in favour of balloons to secure the DIY furniture and toys in her Inflate kits. The project invites both children and adults to make their own colourful compositions. ferntoyntondesign.com

Reframe is a rather abstract clothing collection hatched in the brain of Taiwanese designer JIAN DA HUANG, who enjoys stimulating the consumer’s sense of creativity. Merging fashion and architecture, Huang’s DAE graduation project features a series of ‘soft bone’ shapes that restore the fun of getting dressed as they change the wearer’s silhouette. jiandahuang.com

ARCHITECTURAL MATERIALS

Designed for Nov Gallery by PANTER&TOURRON, Tole is a furniture collection made from corrugated sheet metal, a material normally used in an architectural context. The simple forms explore the potential of an ordinary cladding material reduced to the scale of product design. Surfaces that are polished, anodized, lacquered or combined with marble add a touch of luxury to inexpensive aluminium sheet. pantertourron.com

Inspired by the building principles of Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi, KONSTANTIN GRCIC came up with Magliana, a limited-edition modular table with built-in seating made entirely from reinforced concrete. The material increases the strength of the long dining table while reducing its weight and demonstrating the application of unembellished concrete to furniture design. konstantin-grcic.com

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