Round + Round Bench: A Seat With a Secret
This gorgeous circular wooden bench from design student Louis Lim is made entirely from wood salvaged from NYC locations. The Round&Round is not only sophisticated in its form and materials; it also hides a little secret.
Rather than being a solid wooden seat, the inside of the bench hides a sliding storage compartment. When open, the storage compartment closes the gap between the ends of the semi-circular bench, making it into a complete circle.
Even more interesting than the bench’s shape and storage compartment is the fact that it is a flat-pack product. The main part of the bench disassembles into six pieces for easier moving.
“Originally conceived for 12×12 at Wanted Designs 2012, (sponsored by Sawkill Lumber Co.), Round & Round is a circular communal bench and storage unit that is balanced on one single line. Though appearing to be a solid mass, as one end of the bench is pushed, the opposing side pops open revealing itself to be a continuous hidden drawer. The drawer fully extends and slides back into the opposing opening, traveling around and round the entirety of the piece.”
An update to the design takes this idea even further:
“A rebuild and revitalization of the original Round&Round, Round and Round 2017 edition utilizes a cold bending lamination technique on its shell and drawer. Made of white oak.”
Proving his proficiency with unusually shaped wooden furniture, Lim also created “El Cangrejito,” a pentagonal table comprised of five identical open faced tetrahedron. “Held together with brass barrel bolts, the unit can be disassembled and nested for compact shipping. Images here show a grey stained bamboo plywood, and a raw birch plywood.”
About designer Louis Lim:
“Makingworks is a division of studio ai architects dedicated to sculpture, furniture, products and custom builds. Started with Louis Lim in 2011, Makingworks explore ideas through action. As its namesake suggests, during the physical process of making, works of art and design emerge. Yet, “works” are never complete, never static; they continually change through the way we use and live with them, through the memories and meanings we derive from them. They also simultaneously augment the way we live and think.”
“Understanding that designing and creating are such reciprocal processes, we strive to continually explore work that engage with our audience through utility and play.”
