A curtain behind a transparent door are simple and old-fashioned ways to control incoming natural light and visual permeability – but what if you whole door could act as a kind of flexible and interactive heavy-weight counterpoint to more traditional fabric curtains?

This remarkable door designed by Matharoo Associates is composed of lush dark-wood panels (or planks) that are able to ‘bend’ open, ‘fold’ closed, and be held in any one of an infinite set of modular options in between – despite each individual panel being of rigid construction.

Not only are the various permutations fascinating, but the active of opening and closing the door is itself an experience. The user feels the mass moving underneath their fingertips, manually registering each change in position, and can watch thick horizontal wood element slowly slide into new formations.