Chinese furniture brand KUKA curated an exhibition, entitled Home Living Boundless Design, for which Japanese design house Nendo was asked to be a part of. KUKA is known for their upholstered sofas and lounge chairs, which led Nendo to approach the “Intelligence” theme in a completely new way for their line of furniture called Bouncy Layers. Instead of going the typical padded route for softness, they used sheets of 1.5 mm thick polycarbonate and achieved a similar cushioning by laminating and bending it.

Paired with frames, Nendo bent the polycarbonate sheets in various ways, layered to increase or decrease the softness – more curvature = more bounce. By manipulating the boards, comfort and softness were gained where human contact would be made, while at the connection to the frame, it became stronger. In typical furniture, that what makes it soft for sitting and lounging is always hidden away, but with Bouncy Layers, what you see is what you get.

Design: nendo

http://design-milk.com/nendo-creates-soft-furniture-collection-without-upholstery/