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commercial · joinery

spinola reception desk.

A reception desk of individually steam-bent walnut strips — free-form, generated from a 3D model, with integrated lighting and a built-in planter.

spinola reception desk, the desk, installed · photo sean mallia

location: spinola park, st julian’s
year: 2021
sector: commercial · joinery
system: steam-bent walnut lamellae
made by: matter make

the project

the project

A reception desk for Spinola, made of walnut strips we steam-bent one at a time. We modelled it as a free-form surface, then broke that surface into strips that could actually bend. Lighting runs under the lip and a planter grows out of the form, so it reads less like a counter and more like a small landscape. It was drawn, bent and finished in our workshop.

spinola reception desk, the desk, installed · photo sean mallia — the desk, installed · photo sean mallia

spinola reception desk, from the side · photo sean mallia — from the side · photo sean mallia

spinola reception desk, bent lamellae, lit from within — bent lamellae, lit from within

spinola reception desk, the planter · photo sean mallia — the planter · photo sean mallia

spinola reception desk, the ribs, in fabrication — the ribs, in fabrication

spinola reception desk, in fabrication — in fabrication

spinola reception desk, in the workshop — in the workshop

spinola reception desk, the planter, close · photo sean mallia — the planter, close · photo sean mallia

spinola reception desk, the strips, lit from inside · photo sean mallia — the strips, lit from inside · photo sean mallia

spinola reception desk, finished — finished

spinola reception desk, the frame on the factory floor — the frame on the factory floor

spinola reception desk, ribs, set out on the floor — ribs, set out on the floor

spinola reception desk, the whole desk, from above — the whole desk, from above

spinola reception desk, the frame on the bench — the frame on the bench

spinola reception desk, taking shape in the workshop — taking shape in the workshop

spinola reception desk, strips over ribs — strips over ribs

spinola reception desk, one strip, one curve — one strip, one curve

spinola reception desk, pinned while it sets — pinned while it sets

spinola reception desk, where the strips turn — where the strips turn

spinola reception desk, the grain, bent — the grain, bent

the diagrams

how it came together.

01context.
02form generation.
03process.
04functionality.
05materiality.
063d data management.

how it was made

bent one strip at a time.

joinerybody scalewalnut

a form, not a box.
The desk was modelled as a free-form surface and rationalised into strips that could actually be bent.
the steam box.
Walnut strips softened in the workshop steam box and bent by hand to the drawing, one at a time.
light and leaves.
Integrated lighting under the lip and a planter grown into the form — the desk as a small landscape.

from the lab · this project in

gamut · coloursample this palette ↗Five tones sampled from the photograph above. Sampled, not invented.