During our August break, quite a few new projects piled up in our inboxes, and while they sat in our editorial folders waiting for future coverage, we started to notice some patterns between them. One of them was a fascination, among three up-and-coming designers from two different parts of the globe, with using off-the-shelf metal materials in new, more beautiful ways. The concept itself is nothing new, but it underscores just how much endless versatility can be found in industrial parts and profiles — and how they offer emerging designers access to industrial fabrication without the expensive factory tooling and MOQs.

First up is the Hamburg-based designer Sebastian Kommer, whose Pur series unites high-tech aluminum profiles with unique natural wood slabs in “a radical display of materials and joints,” he says. “Inspired by deconstructionism and fascinated by brutalism, my goal was to bring opposites together, generate new forms of design, and find a direct, unique aesthetic.” Second is Jinyeong Yeon‘s new collection formed by haphazardly bending titanium pipes into chairs, almost like balloon animals. The Korean designer began the project with aluminum pipes in 2020, but debuted the titanium versions earlier this year at the 13 Desserts show at Design Parade Hyeres. Last but not least is Hyunseog Oh and Sangmyung Yu of Nice Workshop, also based in Seoul, who created the Bolt Series to “focus on what we miss” — in this case, the large threaded bolts that are often used (and discarded) on building construction sites while installing ceilings. They paired the bolts with stainless steel plates and threaded rods to make a chair, bench, and side table. Check out all three projects below. ◆

Sebastian Kommer

Jinyeong Yeon

Nice Workshop