rolled paper sheets become a modular furniture system with perforated patterns
By yumi muto
In Pattern as Structure, Muto Yumi presents a furniture series constructed entirely from paper rods formed by rolling sheets of paper with pre-cut holes. The project investigates how a two-dimensional surface can be transformed into a three-dimensional structural system through a simple fabrication process.
While a single sheet of paper is thin and flexible, rolling multiple layers together increases its density and creates a rigid rod capable of bearing loads. The project begins with paper in its flat state, where a pattern of holes is cut into the surface before the sheet is rolled.
During this transformation, the perforations that appear as a graphic pattern on the flat sheet become through-holes within the completed rod. These openings serve as connection points, allowing additional paper rods to be inserted and joined together. As a result, the pattern is not only translated into a three-dimensional form but also becomes an integral part of the construction system.
rolling process | all images courtesy of Muto Yumi
The furniture is assembled entirely from these interconnected paper rods. Through the relationship between rolling, perforation, and connection, the project demonstrates how structural stability can emerge from a lightweight material and a straightforward fabrication method.
Because the rods are produced from printed sheets, the system can accommodate a wide range of colors, graphics, and surface patterns without altering its construction logic. The same structural framework can therefore generate multiple visual expressions while maintaining a consistent assembly method.
By transforming a flat pattern into a structural element, Pattern as Structure, developed by designer Muto Yumi, explores an alternative approach to paper construction, in which surface, connection, and structure are developed through a single process.
the holes, which appear as a pattern on the flat surface, become through-holes after rolling
original pattern before rolling
a series of open shelves with a sheet of paper before rolling
name: Pattern as Structure designer: Muto Yumi | @muto_yumi
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
This article was originally published by Designboom.