Origami 书架 by Liu Zulong and Xia Yiting is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award 铜奖 in 家具设计 Competition Category.

铜家具· 2022

Origami 书架

by Liu Zulong and Xia Yiting

Client: Beijing Yeak Tech Co. Ltd.

A' Design Award 铜奖 Winner in 家具 Category

19,355

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #133576

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Origami 书架

折纸（Origami）是一款专为收纳不同尺寸书籍而设计的书架。错落有致的倾斜排列方式形成了高度从24至32厘米不等的搁板，使大型画册与较小的书籍也能整齐有序地并排摆放。搁板深度也随书籍尺寸而变化。特殊的折叠结构将各部件连接为一体，呈现出宛如折纸般的外观造型。书架采用北美黑胡桃木或硬枫木实木制作，运用榫卯工艺拼接而成，并以蜡油进行表面处理。不锈钢底座配备防倾倒连接件，确保整体结构稳固可靠。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铜奖

Origami 书架是 A' Design Award 铜奖得主，这是授予以创造力、独创性和敏锐见长的杰出设计的极具声望的认可。铜奖得主是技艺娴熟、创意惊人的作品，印证了其设计师丰富的经验、想象力与机智。预计Origami 书架将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的物品，兼具显著的专业性与创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铜奖的设计融入艺术、科学、设计和技术领域的最佳实践，并因注重细节而出类拔萃。Origami 书架出色地满足需求，触动渴望，迷住情感，并吸引好奇心。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This unique bookshelf looks like a project whose function follows the form, but actually it adheres to the design principle that the form follows the function. The staggered inclined arrangement can better meet the storage needs of books of different heights for a neat order. Special folds tie the elements of the bookshelf together, presenting an origami-like visual effect.
Dimensions & Packaging: 780*1970*350mm
Production Technology: The materials like MidwestWalnut timberland FAS North American black walnut or Gutchess Timber F&B North American hard maple are readily available. The whole product is directly assembled by solid wood using mortise and tenon joint structure. With a base of oil-free paint, it is painted with German OSMO wax oil.
Design Challenge: The challenge during design process lies in how to perceive these two classical design principles and give an ideal answer.
Additionally, this product is more than a study, but has also considered its durability, and adaptability in different using environments. As for the support structure, the design team employs a base made of 4mm stainless steel, which, equipped with anti-dumping metal connectors, can ensure the shelf is stable enough and creates a visual effect that as if the shelf is floating.
Research: There are many shelves with odd appearances on the market, while the majority of them are studied with a focus on either function or form. We hope to manufacture a product that makes a breakthrough in classical design principles. The design of the origami bookshelf starts from the basic functional requirements, and then designs the structure in order to achieve the function and finally presents the form, which is an interpretation of that the form follows function. However, as for the people who see this shelf for the first time, they might consider it a purely formalistic shelf.
Inspiration: It is inspired by the debate over the function follows form or form follows the function. The design team discovered the storage problem of books from daily lives, i.e. how could books of different sizes be more reasonably placed on the same bookshelf. For that matter, they posed a solution based on a dialectical view of both functionalism and formalism.
Project Duration: Started in June 2018 in Beijing, this project was finished in October 2020 in Henan and was exhibited in November 2020 in Caochangdi Arts, Beijing.
Operation Flow: Every story covers a height ranging from 24cm to 32cm. With an average height of 28cm, it is able to contain ultra-large albums of 32cm, thus saving more space. The varying depths of the bookshelf match the heights of albums of large sizes. Moreover, the dynamic appearance better fits the modern space.
Team Members: Liu Zulong
Xia Yiting