Whether bent or curved, Paul Coenen’s metal furniture demonstrates that functionality can also be synonymous with simplicity. This young designer, a graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven, is a true researcher in the field. Portrait.
Explicit Design
During his final year project, “Borders of Assembly”, the designer thought about a new way of shaping metal. This experiment gave rise to the Tension series, in which each piece of furniture appears light and malleable, like a sheet of paper. As if by magic, thin aluminium plates pass through the curved structure without the slightest trace of welding. A process inspired by the manufacturing industry. The origami-like Arc lamp and Camber stool embody the same principle.
Subtle Lightness
Paul Coenen can’t imagine his creations without first making a paper model. For him, paper is as flexible as sheet metal. He adds: “I see my work as a system. When I design a new table, I can already see a collection of furniture based on the same principle.” With a simple gesture, Coenen handles metal with a masterly hand, just as the American artist Richard Serra did with his grandiose sculptures.
In the future, Paul plans to work with different techniques and materials that will give way, who knows, to new and unusual design pieces. He has already created a new collection of home objects with the Dutch brand Róhe. To be continued..
Netherlands – Eindhoven