Pan コートラック

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Pan is a coat rack entirely made of recovered steel. Its components are obtained from the design and optimization of waste materials, coming from the industrial processes of steel laser cutting. The two-dimensional sheet takes on a new three-dimensional aesthetic, a faceted volume with a sculptural value that dialogues with light and the environment. Each Pan is unique because its pattern depends on how the elements are randomly arranged in the slab during the laser cutting process.

Dimensions & Packaging

High coat racks: 506 mm, 440 mm, 1800 mm
Short coat racks: 412 mm, 444 mm, 1450 mm

Tags

coat rack, recovered steel, laser-cut, circular economy

Production Technology

Pan is made of high quality SSAB Swedish Steel to obtain a long-lasting, non-deformable product, which is also resistant to oxidation. The laser cutting process takes place on standard 1488 mm x 2990 mm sheets. Both small components intended for industry and Pan parts are extracted from a sheet. They are finished with simple folding and surface finishing operations. From 2 sheets, 3 high and 4 short Pans are extracted. The waste of material is practically zero, as are the CO2 emissions that would derive from its regeneration.

Design Challenge

The main challenges were the following:
Finding internal logistic solutions that could foster the development of the project, taking into account the company's productive cycle.
Designing the waste by optimizing the arrangement of the cuts, according to particular geometries, identifying the optimal thicknesses of the material and keeping laser cutting process smooth in order to optimize production times.
Studying a multifaceted shape capable of exceeding two-dimensionality, harmoniously enhancing the aesthetics of the pattern obtained.

Research

Pan follows a circular economy philosophy applied to the processing of laser cut steel. The desire to enhance waste material has led us to design components obtained from the same plate used to make other elements for the mechanical industry, which, once extracted, determine Pan's decorative pattern.
Pan's shape is the result of the slab's layout study, aimed at exploiting as much material as possible.
Thus, the waste is designed as well as the primary mechanical components of production: in this way, it acquires a new life and the environmental impact necessary for its regeneration is reduced almost to zero.

Inspiration

The project stems from the desire to enhance the scraps derived from the processing of laser-cut steel plates, avoid their waste and reuse them to create new products with a unique value.
Pan, the deity of the forests, is inspired by nature, large corals and shrub textures. Its organic value goes beyond the strength of metal, an inherently cold and rigid material, and reinterprets it through innovative shapes.

Project Duration

The project was conceived by the Sapiens Design studio in Milan in 2021 and put into practice by Nestart srl, based in Rolo (RE). It was first presented during the Milan Design Week in September 2021.

Operation Flow

Pan is a multifaceted object that requires an all-round interpretation. It changes with light and movement, creating an overlapping of planes, textures and shapes. Pan interacts with the surrounding space, generating changing and interesting shadows. Its organic shape is the result of simple processes: the three components, joined by a central joint, offer up to 4 hangers of different heights.

Image Credits

Image #1: Photographer Davide Bartolai, Pan, 2021.
Image #2: Photographer Davide Bartolai, Pan, 2021.
Image #3: Photographer Davide Bartolai, Pan, 2021.
Image #4: Photographer Davide Bartolai, Pan, 2021.
Image #5: Photographer Davide Bartolai, Pan, 2021.