INTO THE FOLD

When design director Terri Tan first heard about the bended marble technique, she immediately thought of the delicate folds of the art of origami. “The aim of origami is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques,” says the founder of Designworx Interior Consultant. Applying the same origami principle to natural stone, she created a side table with a distinct base with pleats of accordions. The table comprises a glass top supported by a C-shaped stainless steel structure and a sculptural pedestal clad in layers of marble in accordion-like folds. “The design cues for this surrealistic origami side table design stem from the accordion,” shares Tan. “Although the accordion was invented by Friedrich Buschmann in 1822 in Berlin, the idea originated from the Chinese instrument Sheng thousands of years ago; we are fascinated with how this European design has Asian roots. It is truly an amazing fusion of ideas.” Likewise, while marble is generally associated with Europe where the most famous marble quarries are located, origami is a traditional art that originated in Japan. The designer also sought to pay homage to the historical use of marble in sculptural art. “Our contact with this natural st one has been predominantly in slab format, reminiscent of sheets of paper; albeit v ery big and thick ones,” she quips.