Projekt 05
Living moves. Today's living cultures are nomadic, flexible, and change instantly and immediately — but what about the furniture that accompanies them? The goal of this bachelor's thesis was to develop a modular shelving system that grows, lives, and changes with the people who use it.
A shelf like a structure
The design of this shelving system is inspired by the architectural construction of a round arch — a principle that has been valued for centuries for its extraordinary stability and elegant distribution of forces. The underlying idea was further developed: the working principle of the classic round arch was tilted 90 degrees to the side and symmetrically mirrored in order to transfer it to a functional shelf.
Two vertical elements are deliberately tensioned against each other, creating a structural pre-stress. This tension connects all horizontal shelves to the vertical uprights in a force-fitting manner, giving the entire system its exceptional fundamental stability. Particularly remarkable: as the load increases, the stability of the shelving system actually improves further — the connecting elements respond to the forces by joining together more tightly.
The result is a highly stable, self-contained system that is not only functionally convincing but structurally compelling as well. The occurring forces are distributed symmetrically downward — fully in keeping with the original round arch principle.
Variety through repetition
The system requires only 12 different components and is conceived as flexible furniture. The shelves are designed in seven lengths and can be freely combined with one another to create an endless variety of widths. In terms of height, the system grows through the repeated arrangement of a single, standardized component. These vertical uprights, made from solid ash wood, are compressed using a special tool and secured with a small hand screw — quickly, precisely, and stably.
