Soft Structure, No. 1
Digital design meets traditional craftsmanship

Initiated in 2021, Soft Structure, No. 1 is the result of four years of development in collaboration with six specialised artisans in Athens.

The work is composed of four components assembled into a single leaf. Twelve identical leaves are arranged in a circular formation, generating a continuous ornamental structure. Derived from a digitally modelled geometry, the form is precise and computational, yet appears soft and almost unstable.

Its production unfolds across six interdependent stages, each executed by a specialist. Resin components are 3D printed and translated into silicone moulds. From these, 48 wax elements are cast and individually encased in sand. Through lost-wax casting, molten brass replaces the wax, producing 48 solid brass pieces. These are polished, soldered into 12 leaves, assembled into a unified structure, and finally silver-plated.

Across these material transformations, from digital file to resin, wax, brass, and silver, repetition becomes structure. Subtle variations emerge through hand-driven processes, balancing computational precision with material variation.

Soft Structure, No. 1 advances an ongoing investigation into ornament as structure. Repetition operates not as replication, but as a generative system producing rhythm, density, and difference. Sustainability is addressed through durability, material intelligence, and the time embedded in collaborative making.

The work is acquired by the New Carlsberg Foundation.