Tendere

Tension and flexibility are the building blocks of the shelf Tendere. A central frame provides the basis for a system of ‘building blocks’, allowing users to suspend platforms and elements across the frame to customise the shelf.

In an effort to remove the harsh rigidity that is often expected of shelving, Tendere replaces solid beams with flexible webbing, tensioned across the frame and by the weight of the boards placed on it. Objects can bridge spaces between the boards, with their irregular positioning interrupting the otherwise minimal geometry, creating moments of tension, overlap and visual rhythm. In this way, the contents become an active part of the composition rather than simply objects being stored.

The frame acts as a foundation for a broader system of suspended elements, each introducing a different way of storing and displaying objects. Leather slings, shelves and other components can be combined to accommodate objects of varying shapes, sizes and materials.