Design of the Week: Bionic Sofa

This week’s selection is the smooth and sweeping Bionic Sofa by designer Alex Demin.

Yes, this is a 3D model of a sofa. As such it is unlikely to be 3D printed on your typical desktop 3D printer, nor even a large industrial 3D printer as the size required for actual human use would be by far too large for most devices. 

And even if you did 3D print it, it would likely be a bit hard to sit upon. Perhaps if it could be 3D printed in a softer material? 

While the Bionic Sofa may be entirely impractical to 3D print, at least at life-size, it is incredibly beautiful. 

The sweeping curves make the Bionic Sofa look like it’s blowing slightly in the wind, providing a sense of motion to an otherwise static object. 

And those strange curly bits on the left side — what are they and what do they do? I think they are there to add to the motion sensation, as if they are turbulence from the wind. 

The rear of the Bionic Sofa is also quite interesting. Unlike the front side, the rear is structured in a regular manner. Perhaps this is to ensure the object is stable and strong, but on the other hand it may be an artistic statement of the combination of aesthetics and mechanics. 

The Bionic Sofa is an extremely interesting design. It’s non-linear form might show how furniture could be designed in the future. When there are no limits to the geometry of a product, as is the case with 3D printing, the designers should take full advantage. 

I believe Demin has done that here, as an example for the rest of us. 

If you’d like to try 3D printing a smaller version of the Bionic Sofa, it is available for purchase at CGTrader for the tiny fee of US$4.13.

Via CGTrader