Milan 2012: Hackney designers were busy in Milan last week and we're bringing you some of the best new product launches, including this shelf by Stoke Newington duo Raw Edges where the front slides down to create a work surface.
Shown at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile for Dutch brand Arco, Deskbox can be fixed to a wall and acts as a shelf and container when closed.
A pencil can be left standing in a tiny round hole in the top surface to signal that there is more to the simple form than meets the eye.
A parallel mechanism, similar to that used in compartmentalised sewing boxes allows the front section to hinge down and provide a flat surface for working on.
Raw Edges previously designed another unfolding shelving product for Dutch furniture brand Arco, which was launched at last year's furniture fair in Milan.
The Salone Internazionale del Mobile took place from 17 to 22 April. See all our stories about Milan 2012 here.
Here's some more information from Arco:
Deskbox designed by Yael Mer & Shay Alkalay
Soon after graduating from the Royal College of Art, Shay Alkalay became very well known with Pivot, a special type of drawers for Arco and the Stack for Established&Sons. He is most fascinated by functional items that can move and change and, in cooperation with his partner Yael Mer, they founded the design studio Raw Edges. Their latest design for Arco is another mobile functional object.
The Deskbox is a practical small table/cabinet that is hung onto a wall and it is ideal for settings where there is little space available for furniture. It is an elegant small work place, which is excellent for working on a laptop for instance, and it can be retracted to form a closed box, half the size of the table top.
The Deskbox represents a new typology in Arco's focus on tables, which is an area of specialisation that sets the company apart from others. Continuous research often leads to new inventions and solutions.
This design from Raw Edges originated from the project Arco Okay 2011, where Arco challenged ten designers to develop new ideas, based on the production possibilities of the company. Desk Box is based on the parallel mechanism from earlier sewing boxes, which Arco used to produce a long time ago.
Raw Edges are based at Okay Studio off Stamford Hill, round the corner from Dezeen's own offices.
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Raw Edges is included in our book, Dezeen Book of Ideas. Buy it now for just £12.
Designed in Hackney is a Dezeen initiative to showcase world-class architecture and design created in the borough, which is one of the five host boroughs for the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as being home to Dezeen’s offices. We’ll publish buildings, interiors and objects that have been designed in Hackney until the games this summer.
More information and details of how to get involved can be found at www.designedinhackney.com.