Portability can often be a design constraint, causing one of two things to happen. Either the product is extremely portable but looks too utilitarian when assembled, or the product looks beautiful, but its design was made to celebrate aesthetics and not portability, so it isn’t particularly portable. It’s rare for products to be extremely functional and aesthetic at the same time, but the Möbel chair strikes a perfect balance.
Made purely from fabric, the Möbel comes with an inherently collapsible design. Using a honeycomb style structure, the Möbel opens out on a vertical axis, forming a chair shape, even with its own backrest. Its honeycomb structure gives it a great deal of strength, being able to take any vertical compression stress with ease, while remaining extremely lightweight and collapsible. Simple snap-fasteners hold the chair together in place, and when unfastened, allow you to collapse the chair down to a flat piece of fabric that can easily be stowed in cupboards and wardrobes, or even underneath beds. Designed for small apartments, the Möbel is structurally, functionally, and aesthetically perfect for the student generation. Besides, the Möbel is made from industrial felt, which can be easily recycled, bringing down waste reduction and eventually manufacturing costs. Foldable furniture that’s stylish and cheap too?! Pinch me, I must be dreaming!
Designers: Tianyi Shi, Max Hampton-Fischer, Tae Joong Park, Mohamed Al-Sayed Kamaledin, Shantanu Sathe & Katie Qi.
