Bidum is a series of flexible mesh containers characterized more by motion than by functionality. Designed by Lætitia Florin, a graduate of Switzerland’s ECAL (University of Art & Design Lausanne), the containers are made from thin spring-steel strips sheathed in cotton. The flexible form moves and bounces with the slightest touch but can’t tumble or collapse.

Kinda reminds you of the metal slinky, isn’t it?

Check out the video below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Armed with a fascination for the pentagon, Dutch sculptor and artist, Gerard Caris amassed an extensive portfolio charting the evolution of his geometrical studies in the form of paintings, relief sculptures, 3D sculptures and even architecture. Believing that he has introduced a new chapter in the history of art, he named his artistic pursuit as Pentagonism.

Here are a few exclusive picks of his works:

Large polyhedral net structure rotated to reveal its changing shadows cast on the wall. Made of steelwire, cardboard, linen, paint.

another polyhedral net sculpture

view looking up from below

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Rhombohedra relief sculptures

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dodecahedron sculpture

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Architectural study: modular residential construction

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A painting from the Cosmos series

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Gerard Caris in his studio

More artworks on Gerard Caris’s website

Caleidoscope is a new lighting concept designed by Dutch designer Frederike Top. Its character lies in the contrast of simple construction, combined with the unexpected. The lamp’s façade appears plain at first, but deeper inspection reveals an array of faceted patterns and colour within its shell. The generated shapes reflect the same principles of a kaleidoscope.

Caleidoscope is constructed from stainless steel with a water based lacquer coating. Stainless steel is a long lasting material and is easily recyclable. Caleidoscope lamp is completely manufactured at just one location, keeping production and transport to a minimum.

Technical specifications:
Sizes        small: 36 x 36 x 52 cm
big: 48 x 48 x 65 cm
Weight    small: ± 7,5 kg
big: ± 9,5 kg
Material    stainless steel, laquer coated (water based)
Colours    ral colours
Cable        steel-wire max 70 kg
Bulb        small: 16W | E27 | softone | 8000 h
big: 23W | E27 | warm white | 10000 h

Caleidoscope will be shown at the Tuttobene during the Milan Design Week

Photography: Bas Brummans

Pleats are the latest series of furniture by Lyon-based designers Rémi Bouhaniche and Amaury Poudray of USIN-e. The series composed of two trestles, one low table and one coat rack, and each is constructed by folding the metal sheets to link the wooden pieces.

pleats trestles

The designer states, “Pleats pits the weight of the material against the empty space’s lightness. In order to give each component a vital breath, we use the emptiness to connect the materials. Through this range, we create a language both simple and sophisticated situated in between, the “haute couture”, industry and craft works.”

detail of the trestles

pleats low table

detail of low table

pleats coat rack

Designers: Rémi Bouhaniche / Amaury Poudray
Label: USIN-e
Production: AD, Christophe Bailleux
Photography: Laure Mélone

I like the lightness and simplicity of the Drew furniture series designed by Kirsty Whyte of Purewhyte. The powder-coated, tubular steel rod furniture consist of table bases and a coat stand, each formed by bending a continuous piece of steel rod.

drew dining table

The Drew Dining Table is made currently made by hand from a continuous piece of steel, creating an intricate and intriguing table that verges on forming an optical illusion that is visible from all angles thanks to the tempered clear glass top that the base supports.

The initial concept was hand-modeled from wire, with many generations created before the final shape was selected. After the solution has been finalized, a complex 3D computer model was created, and then a suitable metalwork supplier found for the production of the sample.

drew coat stand

The Drew Coat stand uses the same design language as the table, but the form has been manipulated to allow for 6 apposing hooks to be created.

drew occasional and coffee tables

The occasional and coffee tables are an extension of the Drew range launched in Spring 2009. They use same handwriting and manufacture process; made from one continuous piece of steel rod. Meaning minimal material is wasted in production. The forms have been pared down, making an even purer form. They are smaller, lighter so it can sit with any contemporary environment.

Purewhyte‘s furniture will be shown with Designersblock during this month’s Milan furniture Fair.

Photographs: Alison Tanner

There was the Bloom Light, and here comes the Bloom Chair by Korean designer Eerang Park. It is constructed by placing eight folded steel plates at a 35° angle in a circular arrangement, and the formation resulted in a structurally solid chair. Pure awesome-ness!

via designboom

Julyerna Koesmono, a student at the lasalle college of the arts in Singapore, designed this award-winning furniture for the island country’s annual furniture design award (FDA). The chromatic stool design with its overlapping strings , is inspired by the traditional string game of Ayatori or Cat’s Cradle. is reminiscent of the 1960′s string art

Designer David des Moutis – chosen as a D3 contestant for this year’s IMM Cologne – produced a delightful array of lightweight furniture that conveys simplicity, portability and ease of assembly, such as the Demi Secretary Desk which comes with wood legs and folded steel components.

The desk was realized during the designer’s period of experimentations with wood+wood and wood+metal compenents. For the Demi desk, the coated steel sheets are folded into separate components for the desk and shelf, slotted to the wooden legs, with wooden pegs to reinforce the parts.

An old press at the back of a workshop with little know-how of its use are at the origin of the BOND stool collection. This metal tool, operated using only manual force, water and water-based adhesive, shape the beech ply’s into curved modules which are machined and fitted together to form a stool or a bench.

The PLI coated steel table takes the form of a folded paper, giving it a lightweight quality.

The pair of PLI table legs is made of folded steel sheet which gives an aspect of lightness while acting as a structural support for a tabletop. The space within each leg is optimized by using it as a storage compartment for your books and other objects. The mounting can be combined with a variety of tabletop surfaces such as glass, wood, stone of burgundy.

View David’s other projects

Designed by Angela and Mark Gilbert of Gilbert13, Fold is a metal shelf made from a single sheet of steel hand folded into shape along lasercut perforations. The complex folded form, inspired by plant growth and structures, is efficiently manufactured using minimal processes which result in a product exhibiting no joints or welds. More images after the jump:

As a collection, the shelves work together creating a striking graphic pattern of cellular structures which branch out and colonise the wall, creating a decorative and functional 3D feature. Usable in two orientations, it allows the customer to create unique arrangements adaptable to their environment.

fold detail

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Also check out the designers’ Hebe stool – made using folds to form five structural arcs and supported by a slender metal cable woven through the heart of the stool to hold the structure in tension.

photo © Gilbert13

See more products on Gilbert13

The Fold shelf is available at these stores:

Bouf.com

Glimpseonline.com

Moletamunro

Pad Gallery Preston

Postmoderndesigns.co.uk

Designed by Boston-based architecture studio, Office dA, the Helios House is a gas station located in Los Angeles and equipped with eco-friendly features such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting and renewable materials, to name a few. The most striking feature is the canopy which seamlessly integrates structural and spatial elements with its prefabricated, triangulated stainless steel panels.

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Mathematician, artist and designer, Anthony Leyland recently launched his series of coffee tables called Manifold. The cuts on a single sheet of steel are based on the elements of geometry such as straight lines, arcs, rotational and mirror symmetries, which are then  folded to form the table legs.

The design certainly has sustainability in mind with only the use of a single bent sheet of metal per table, avoiding any leftover waste typically caused by uneven cuts. Steel is also durable and recyclable.

Designer George Rice in conjunction with Formtank, conceived a series of steel table base, including the 4foldlow table with material efficiency in mind. The product implement a single standard-sized steel sheet that is precision-engineered, lasercut, then hand-folded to form the table footing, and topped off with a glass surface that acts like a picture frame for the sculptural base.

The result is stunning!

the perforated single piece of steel sheet ready for folding

images via yatzer

Japanese architecture duo Atelier Bow-Wow created Life Tunnel for the Psycho Building exhibition last year at the Hayward in London. The metallic tunnel/chamber/crawl space is made up of a series of folding steel plates which architecturally alludes to a massive mechanical duct.

Due to the reflective nature of the steel plate, the tunnel exudes a dreamy quality reminiscent of an after-life scene where one reaches for the Light in the tunnel. Watch the short video after this jump.

Find more videos like this on artreview.com

images via  Atelier Bow-Wow

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