nameless architecture's stacked felt furniture creates a soft + solid café interior

by stacking layers of compacted felt on top of each other, design and architecture firm nameless architecture has created a soft and sturdy interior for this south korean café. located in the capital of seoul, the café — called ‘on ne sait jamais’ (you never know) — at first appears to be populated by a kind of granite furniture, before closer inspection reveals it to be something a bit more comfortable.

located in the capital of seoul, the café is called ‘on ne sait jamais’ (you never know)
all images by kyung roh

the idea for the project came from the studio’s desire to explore two dimensional materials from a three dimensional perspective. widely used from the fashion field to the industrial field because of its flexibility and solidity of entangled fiber, felt is a fiber-entangled texture that is produced by applying heat, moisture, and pressure to wool. by stacking layers of felt, nameless architecture reinforces the fabric’s natural flexibility, and simultaneously satisfies the function of conventional furniture. according to the studio, the towers of stacked felt provides a heaviness and solidity similar to that of a concrete mass.

the eatery first appears to be populated by a kind of granite furniture

the result is a collection of chairs and tables that appear to have risen from the floor in a kind of textile-based stratigraphy. the tables are topped by glass panels, and can be arranged to accommodate a number of orientations. a gray floor and white walls combine to create a palette composed of varying scales of gray. light fixtures are integrated into the exposed metal ceiling for an unfinished, industrial presentation. a lighter, translucent fabric is suspended from above by metal steel bars, standing in distinct contrast to the solidity of the felt below. light enough to be stirred by micro airflow and the movement of visitors, the drapes help ease the sobriety of the café’s interior. 

the idea came from the studio’s desire to explore two dimensional materials from a three dimensional perspective

felt is used from the fashion field to the industrial field because of its flexibility and solidity of entangled fiber

felt is a fiber-entangled texture that is produced by applying heat, moisture, and pressure to wool

by stacking layers of felt, nameless reinforces the fabric’s natural flexibility

according to the studio, the stacked felt provides a heaviness and solidity similar to that of a concrete mass

the tables are topped by glass panels, and can be arranged to accommodate a number of orientations

the isolated chair, stool, two-seater & table 

preliminary sketch

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: peter corboy | designboom

Save