Feb 14, 2010 – XP& | EXPAND DESIGN LTD

Design Research Technology

Founded by Ifeanyi Oganwu, Expand Design Ltd is a London-based studio engaging in architecture and furniture design by investigating the correlation between history, base materials and opportunities presented by state-of-the-art fabrication techniques. Through our projects, we unearth unidentified typologies that are inspired by the past, grounded in the present, and on a journey to a new aesthetic domain.

ZB/AP1

Zebra, 2008

Zebra, Fusion-Engineered marble – White Carrara and Grey Bardiglio
2420 x 1660 x 760 mm / 95.3 x 65.3 x 29.9 in.
Varied Edition of 6 + 2 A.P.
2008 / 2010

Zebra Table’s fusion of contrasting grey and white marble may provoke subconscious associations with multiple possibilities like the black and white mammalian type and the interiors of Renaissance Tuscan duomos. However, XP&’s Zebra has a vitality of its own. It tells of a drive to explore the time-honored material through contemporary manufacturing techniques. The fabrication process betrays the scale of the form through material effects which render it ethereal.

PROCESS
Fabrication images of ZB/AP1
December 2008. Carrara, Italy

ZB/AP1 is defined by two tapered diamond bases and a dizzying table top of matte and polished stripes of Carrara and Bardiglio marbles. This is the result of cutting, bonding, and sandblasting until achieving an uncanny effect.

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R_M/AP1

Ren, 2010

Ren, White Carrara marble
1760 x 1050 x 220 mm / 69.3 x 41.3 x 8.7 in
Edition of 6 + 2 A.P.
2009 / 2010

Ren denies the distinction between tabletop and base and homogenizes each component into a species that hovers precariously, oblivious to its functions. Ren will be produced in two series – bent ply and marble. Each series will articulate the relationship between form and material performance while emphasizing adaptability. The first in the edition of White Carrara marble, R_M/AP1, will debut at the Hidden-Heroes Exhibition on T35, Via Tortona from 13th-19th April 2010 during Milan Design Week alongside an exhibition in honor of design-great Oscar Niemeyer.

DESIGN
R_M/AP1 is sculpted from a single block and utilizes a combination of cutting-edge CNC milling technologies and exquisite hand crafting techniques. It varies in thickness and is marked by unexpected twists, bulges, and detailing on the underside. The design animates the stone and strikes harmonic balances throughout the luminous surface.