It’s easy to split the world around us into individual units. With digital elements, each individual unit is a pixel, and they stack up together to create complex virtual shapes. Translate that to 3D and you get something like LEGO or Minecraft, with square or cube-shaped elements that help act as literal building blocks for the world around you. The key over here is the word ‘cube’, which seems to be pretty foundational whether you’re looking at real life, or virtual life. What if that foundation was changed to something different, like a triangle?
Trido is a collection of magnetic building blocks that draw inspiration from the geometric forms of Platonic solids, specifically the tetrahedron and octahedron. These blocks utilize a clever magnet system that enables every side of each shape to seamlessly connect with one another, aligning perfectly along the edges without any repelling forces. This ingenious design opens up a world of endless construction possibilities, while offering a unique, non-cubical perspective on the world around us, quite similar to Origami.
Designer: Artur Tikhonenko
Artur Tikhonenko, the designer behind Trido, possessed a profound fascination for sculpture, plaster casting, and origami techniques. Initially, his intention was to fabricate magnetic biological forms. However, upon crafting several prototypes, he decided to break past biological and organic shapes and embrace polygons and Platonic solids instead. Through countless trials with various shapes, Artur discovered that only the combination of tetrahedrons and octahedrons, arranged in a precise manner, could seamlessly adhere to one another, leaving no room for gaps.
The Trido blocks rely on a patented magnetic system that offers a reliable connection between shapes without any faces repelling each other. This one-of-a-kind system provides endless possibilities for assembly, making it incredibly enjoyable and effortless to create new designs. The shapes effortlessly align themselves along the edges, while the pieces are crafted from ABS plastic and the magnets are securely concealed within a unique inner “nest”. Introduce new colors to the mix and the possibilities get even more interesting, with the ability to build detailed, beautiful polygonal models that look nothing like something you’d get from a LEGO set.
Trido magnetic blocks offer endless possibilities for creating stunning decorative pieces. Whether it’s a sculpture, a vase, a mask, or any other imaginative creation, these blocks make building a breeze. The shapes are perfectly magnetized, ensuring that no side repels another. With literally billions of build possibilties, the only limit is your imagination.
The Trido Magentic Building Blocks are a winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2023.