Featured at Budapest Design Week 2022
Selected for Stockholm Furniture Week 2022
H540 x W400 x D200
H690 x W340 x D170
H490 x W320 x D160
Birch plywood, polished stainless steel (designer's technique)
Mentors: Nick Ross, Mihkel Mäll
Estonia 2022
The Challenge
Create a piece based on the history of the Luther factory using bent plywood.
Creative process
I started with researching the Luther factory history, where I found the material Plymax. Plymax was a trade name for metal-faced plywood that was produced by the Luther factory. The sheets of polished metal were used as finishing material for partitions, doors and dressing cubicles. Luther’s Plymax was rigid and steady – perfect for building thin walls – but the material had more potential. This led to further considerations on how else could the material be manipulated. Could it be made to appear softer? Can Plymax be used for creating something more artistic?
I started sketching different ideas, then moved on to material tests, during which I discovered that polished metal could be used as a mirror. I then developed a technique that allows to join steel and bent plywood to create mirrors. After making about 100 prototypes out of cardboard and aluminum foil, I settled on three forms, which I then made into final products.
Final design
The Ade series displays the possibilities of bent plywood together with polished steel. Uniting the two materials creates a functional mirror, while still being a dynamic and abstract artwork.
Articles in Dezeen:
