A modular textile system lets you build dense, puffy white clouds inside a room, assembled from fabric panels rather than built as a fixed structure.
How the system works
The clouds are made from individual textile pieces joined to each other with rubber bands. Each tile carries a series of pre-creased lines, and folding along them turns a flat panel into a three-dimensional form.
Every component has two crease lines, which is what allows different patterns to be produced from the same tile. Because the creases do the shaping, assembly takes very little time, and the whole installation can be taken apart and rearranged into a different configuration whenever you want a change.
Where it can go
The system is not restricted to one application. Tiles can be hung from the ceiling, applied to walls, or run along stairs and railings.
That flexibility is the interesting part. A conventional decorative object occupies one position and stays there. A modular textile system is closer to a material than an object: what it becomes is decided at installation, and changed later.
Materials and availability
The tiles come in two fabrics and seven colors. A pack of eight was available at European outlets from around 285 euros, with the hanging system sold separately.
The surfaces are soft to the touch and were designed to carry a quiet visual appeal rather than announce themselves.
Design credit
The tiles were designed by the French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for the textile manufacturer Kvadrat. Photographs by Paul Tahon and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.
Frequently asked questions
How are the tiles joined?
With rubber bands, which is what makes the system reconfigurable rather than permanent.
What do the pre-creased lines do?
They let a flat panel fold into a three-dimensional form. Two lines per tile allow different patterns from the same component.
Where can they be installed?
Hung from ceilings, or applied to walls, stairs and railings.
This report dates from 2009.
