Mikado
During the Designmonat Graz 2017 the Creative Industries Styria announced the project Smart Urban Furniture. Five teams were commissioned to design prototypes of temporary places of retreat for public spaces, with an emphasis on the use of wood.
Because of the temporary use, the objective was to create a sculptural object that stands out from the city scape. Its open nature avoids dead spots whereby the accumulation and scattering of the vertical structure regulates the relations between in and outside. The design is based on a structural principle where the top panel is held up and statically locked by poles that are put through at varying angles. The construction is not reinforced with screws, bolts or other fittings.
In the sense of the prototypic character of the project it is also a showcase of state-of-the-art wood processing technology. During multiple cycles the machining robot in the Robot Design Laboratory of the TU Graz produced two halves of the final shape out of solid wood sheets. The machine’s accuracy guaranteed seamingless joining of the two halves which is necessary for the exact positioning of the poles in assembly.