Design: 25S32E collection
Materials: Recycled wood and local wood (Umbila)
Pitch: "25S32E is a handcrafted scrap-wood furniture collection, designed by Lisbon based studio KUVA (Aldo Tornaghi) and Maputo based ABdesign (Ab Oosterwaal), members of the design collective Piratas do Pau. Inspired by Maputo, the place where it is created and entirely produced, the collection uses the city's architectural details to define its own design language and to generate, through a simple shift of scale, the five different patterns that are a visual direct reference to the local urban environment."
"Each pattern is then translated into four main typologies (bookshelf, cupboard, table and coffee table) generating a vast range of products. Built using mostly recycled pine wood, reclaimed from dismantled pallets available on the local market, in combination with the local wood essence Umbila, each furniture is completely handmade by a team of local carpenters part of Atelier Laulane, a workshop based in the Maputo's slum area of Laulane. The atelier incorporates surrounding artisans and craftsmen, dividing work and knowledge and creating a network, where new materials and techniques are shared. The recycled wood suffers only minor interventions before being re-used, to preserve the original textures and colors, creating a dialogue with the more fine and uniform Umbila."
DESIGNER INFODesigner: Aldo Tornaghi & Ab Oosterwaal
Website: KUVA
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
SHOWCASE INFO
• Main Info Post
• Submission Form (until Sep. 14)
• Follow on Twitter - #ATShowcase
• About Design Showcase 2012: Every September we celebrate the best new creations for the home. We're hosting a select number of independent designers, makers and creatives from around the world, giving them some precious real estate and watching them pitch their wares. Our panel of judges and editors along with our general body of readers will select a few exemplary exhibitors for special mention.
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Awesome bookshelf, BUT, that design would damage the spine of the books over time.
I am torn about this bookcase. The design/art savy part of me thinks it is gorgeous and dare I say brilliant. But the librarian/archivist part of me (and I do not mean metaphorical, I am a librarian/archivist) is dying - books should never be stored this way, ever, the spines will break in no time.
Adding, I'm also not a fan of the furniture all lined up along the wall, paired with a blank wall.
I echo the above commentators on bookshelf admiration mixed with book-spine concerns, but I'll add this - seriously, that cupboard (?) console looking thing in image 3 with the table is most awesome.
Hi, my name is Aldo Tornaghi and I'm one of the designers. First of all thank you for your very appropriate comments. The collection has many possible combinations between the five patterns and the four typologies. The bookshelf you see in the pictures belongs to pattern #5 and it was chosen for it's strong visual impact and because it's one of the most popular ones. If you are concerned about the book spines we have three hotogonal patterns that I hope are librarian proof and that you can see in the video.
^ you definitely don't need to call him a moron. he wasn't saying "well if you are ridiculous enough to care about such a thing...", he was just saying, if you are in the group of people expressing concern over this issue, we have provided an alternative that you can check out.
i don't know what happened to commenters here recently, but all of this negative, jumping down the throat of someone stuff is disgusting.
hello everyone. i absolutely love the coloured furniture against that amazing antracite coloured wall. it seems that it can bring out all the beautiful effects of the reused wood on the furniture. the whole atmosphere of different woods is beautiful and so simple at the same time. i do understand some of the concerns but i also understand what the designer says, each pattern related to your own way of living this furniture, the client is who will be using to it's full potential. i do see it more as a magazine "bookshelf" for they will certainly be taller and for that fill up the gaps better, but nonetheless an amazing design. congrats!
Great Job !
For the spine concerned, no offense, you have to admit that books are nevertheless often stored that way..
Forza Kuva
first of all beautiful designs and second KUDOS to @aldo.kuva for being so professional and responding so kindly when faced with an offensive commenter. If you don't like the design don't buy it simple as that
I LOVE this!
Like the designs & get over the spines issue; these aren't 16th century thousand page, onion skinned books. I do wonder if the boards are sanded enough to avoid slivers, marring etc.
Like the colorful outsides; wish they'd been displayed in a better looking room
Just to add to the silly commentary about the horizontals with the diagonals on the bookshelf. Aesthetically it wouldn't harm the design much if you simply rotated the horizontals to be perpendicular with the diagonals.
You would basically have rotated rectangular shelves (with the support for books) rather than a parallelogram, leaving the librarians with no pencils to point at you and design savvy customers with the dynamic diagonal piece that it is.
Tilted shelves are a great way to store books when you don't have a full shelf, because books don't fall over or need bookends. Taylor Donsker's idea seems like a great idea. There are single table-top shelvesof that type from mid-century ~ I have one, and it's really practical.
Love these designs!
What I like in 25S32E collection is the fantastic design associated with local entrepreneurship, skillful, added-value and totally integrated in the context. Congrats to Aldo and Ab!!