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.
Many thanks to all who joined us at the exhibition from 14-19 April in Milan.
We extend our appreciation to Fabiana for her amazing support during the exhibition and send best wishes to our fellow designers as they prepare for next year!
We look forward to seeing you at our forthcoming shows later this year. In the meantime, keep visiting our site for the latest information.
– XP& Team
Full Circle, Composite Material
1260 x 1100 x 850 mm / 49.6 x 43.3 x 33.5 in
Varied Edition of 20 + 4 A.P.
2009 / 2010
Multi-user bench suitable for outdoor use and available in a range of vibrant colours as well as polished gel or metallic finishes. For design and production details, please see previous Full Circle blog post.
We look forward to seeing you in Milan next week.
Hidden Heroes Exhibition at T35/Nhow Hotel, no. 35 Via Tortona, April 14 to April 19
Exhibition Hours
10:00 – 22:00
Press Preview
Tuesday, April 13, 14:00 – 19:00
Cocktail Reception
Tuesday, April 13, 17:00 – 19:00
Transportation: Tram 9, 14, 29/30. Metro Porta Genova, Green Line
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
For design and production details, please see previous Ren blog post.
Full Circle, Composite Material
1260 x 1100 x 850 mm / 49.6 x 43.3 x 33.5 in
Varied Edition of 20 + 4 A.P.
2009 / 2010
Full Circle arouses curiosities and invites multiple modes of habitation as an abstracted daybed or bench. It is a multi-user design with a sweeping form that has emerged from an exploration of the space between two common chairs using advanced modelling processes. The central mane that signifies Full Circle bifurcates into a sensuous back support. This re-embraces the overall form and consequently generates a flow between seat and bulbous base. The experience of Full Circle is that of a new biomorphic typology that truly emerges in the round.
DESIGN
Full Circle is a limited edition made of composite material that is produced through a combination of digital and rigorous hand crafting techniques. Each piece is unique in its presentation of form and reflectivity in relation to a vibrant colour palette.
PROCESS
Production Details. FC/AP1
March 2010. London, UK
Production images of FC/AP2 & FC/AP3
March/April 2010. London, UK
Milan Design Week/Fuori Salone
April 14 – 19 2010
T35/Nhow Hotel, no. 35 Via Tortona
Press Preview April 13, 14.00 – 19.00
Expand Design Ltd will present No More Play, its inaugural collection by Ifeanyi Oganwu, at the Hidden Heroes Exhibition during Milan Design Week/Fuori Salone 2010 from April 14 to April 19 at T35/Nhow Hotel, no. 35 Via Tortona.
Generated as exercises in undefined spatial potential, material performance, customization, and nomadic possibility, No More Play emphasizes the correlation between function and adaptability. The collection consists of Full Circle, a multi-user bench made of composite material; Ren, a low marble table; and Tootsie, a flexible marble floor mosaic. Full Circle, Ren and Tootsie are limited editions that explore unexpected new typologies by means of advanced digital technologies and refined handicraft.
Hidden Heroes 2010 will host conceptual works, prototypes, finished products, and a design shop. It will also feature Lands that Oscar Built, an exhibition in honour of master architect Oscar Niemeyer, whose creation Brasilia celebrates its 50th anniversary in April.
About Hidden Heroes
Hidden Heroes is a platform for innovative, functional, and dysfunctional forms of art, with over 40 designers from 30 different countries.
Exhibition + Media Partners:
Moooi, ART LichtTechnik, Rolling Stone and Frame Magazine, Marameo Design, Wyborowa Exquisite Wodka
Patronage:
Archive of Brasilia, Brasilia 50 Years
Exhibition organized by Urban-FX and Untitled (FAB)
www.hiddenheroes.biz
http://hiddenheroesbiz.blogspot.com
Installation View1
Installation View2
Tootsie, Marble Composite
1760 x 1050 x 220 mm / 69.3 x 41.3 x 8.7 in
Varied Edition
2010
Tootsie is a constellation distinguished by interlocking marble tile units that are adaptable to endless possibilities upon aggregation. Each unit is comprised of four distinct tiles defined by varying gradients of grey. In this particular example, the marble is no longer a static, fixed, or permanent material installation; instead, it takes on soft and pliant characteristics typical of traditional woven rugs. As if displaced from a previous setting, it is a nomadic floor mosaic capable of constant re-installation.
DESIGN
Each unit is a composite made possible by three layers: hard, elastic and soft. The hard, top marble layer is bond together by the elastic interface that supports the soft bottom creating a unique interactive experience with the material. The premise of Tootsie is an exercise in customization and will not be limited to floor mosaics but will also include screens, wall units, and facade/cladding systems.
PROCESS
Fabrication images of T_MC/AP1
March 2010. Carrara, Italy
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.
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.
PROCESS
Fabrication images of R_M/AP1.
February/March 2010. Carrara, Italy
CNC milling process concluded.
Commencement of hand finishing.
COMPLETED!
