'NETwork stitching furniture project'
image © designboom

showcased at milan furniture fair 2010, the 'NETwork stitching furniture project' by
german design studio aisslinger combines modern technologies with traditional stitching
techniques to create a collection of textile objects and furniture.


image © designboom

the collection made up of armchairs, stools and lamps transform 2 dimensional embroidery
into a furniture object. while the switch of dimensions has always been a challenge for
designers, the volumes here are carefully created for flattening through the support
of softwares. the collection pieces are light and transparent with an appearance to float
in space as 3d textile meta-networks.



this new 3d textile pop-up technology is the result of a research developed with traditional
german manufacturer in plauen, a region with a long tradition in stitching and embroidery.
the combination of experimental design with a hidden traditional production is always a
challenge for designers but remains an exciting field to develop new concepts. nowadays,
the know-how of specialized technologies is more often found in the supplying industries
than in the design brands themselves.



in the production of the 'network' collection, two major processes were involved.
first, the volumes were translated with software into 2d projections. these projections
were then programmed into machines which stitch the pattern into a carrying surface.
upon dissolving the carrying surface, the embroidered 2d pattern becomes free to form
a 3d object.



in the second step, the objects formed by the stitched honeycomb structures are fixed
over a fiberglass mould and impregnated with resin in order to make them rigid and
constructive.










2d projections of designed volumes




honeycomb structure covered a fiberglass mould


the stitched objects are filled with resin for a more rigid form