Visual research of the region’s heritage in fairy tales and geological investigation

Konglomerat is a permanent installation in the center of the Dolomitian village Kastelruth, located in the entry hall of the local Raiffeisen bank. Surrounded by the striking Dolomites, Kastelruth is home to a rich tradition of myths and fairy tales—stories that once offered explanations for local geological phenomena in times when science could not. This tension between folklore and scientific knowledge became the central theme of this work.

At its heart, six local glacial erratics form a bench, inviting visitors to pause before their appointments. Silver-cast flowers, embroidered cushions, and a photo series on the walls extend the narrative, evoking fairy tales of witches transformed into blooms, geological investigations in the Schlern region, and legends of giants flinging rocks across the meadows of Seiser Alm.

3D scan of "Kastelruther Hexenbänke"

Wood is a highly industrialized material today, almost like a non-organic substance. In the manufacturing process, a once-round trunk is sliced into rectangular boards, completely severed from its botanical origins to follow the logic of construction and transport.

On the flip side, in forestry, wood parts that don’t align with this logic find no valuable use in today’s industry. Branches from the tree canopy that are too slender or too contorted typically, at best, get shredded for chip board production or get burned for energy production. Yet, it is crucial to postpone the burning of wood and the subsequent release of carbon dioxide bound within it. There is untapped potential in valorizing wood from the crown of the tree.

Standard angle brackets are a symbol of the wood industry’s heavy industrialization. Their straightforward approach to creating stable, right-angled connections and beam structures with screws makes them a highly effective and simple choice.

The Norm Bracket series project aims to rethink the angle bracket, giving value those irregular, otherwise unusable branches. The wood only needs to be cut to length, and a matrix of holes provides ample fixing options with screws, ensuring the stable positioning of irregular branches. Depending on the shape of the branch, the screw can be placed at the optimal structural position.

Headrest Fountain is a self-sustaining solar fountain designed for outdoors. The fountain clips onto the backrest of park benches, bringing the sound of water close to the ears for a relaxing experience.

Luna is a candle holder developed for the garden terrace of Parkhotel Mondschein in Bolzano, Italy. Inspired by the many metal-spun elements found throughout the historic building, the design translates this material language into a source of warm, natural light, creating atmosphere without relying on electricity. An adjustable reflector allows the light to be directed and adapted to different settings. Resting on a rubber ring around the glass tube, it can be moved up and down as the candle burns.

Visiting the manufacturer a few kilometers from the hotel

Luna is made entirely from untreated materials, and all components are press-fitted using standard O-rings—no glue, no screws—making each part replaceable and recyclable within existing systems. Each step of production, from metal turning to glass cutting, takes place in workshops within 15 km of the hotel. This close-knit production setup makes use of the phenomenal existing infrastructure in South Tyrol and allows for short transport routes, quick iterations, and a direct exchange with the people making it.

All parts are press fitted with rubber rings

Produced in a first batch of 100 pieces, Luna is now used on the terraces of Parkhotel Mondschein and Villa Arnica. It will be also available for purchase soon, throughout the hotel.

Paper glasses explore the potential of creating a natural alternative to transparent single-use plastic cups, particularly in situations where transparency is essential, such as champagne or martini glasses. The cups are produced using three-dimensional molds, resulting in delicate, paper-thin forms. The paper is then coated with beeswax, which serves multiple purposes: it binds the material, provides a protective and food safe seal, and transforms the paper into a translucent surface.

The paper glasses reintroduce a sense of quality to a plastic product category that has strayed far from its origins. The combination of paper and beeswax comes close to a tactile and visual experience typically associated with glass. Like holding a fine glass, these delicate, translucent cups evoke a sense of care and preciousness in use. After use, they decompose naturally, leaving no waste behind.

This lamp was created during my residency at the Rong Design Library near Hangzhou, China. At its core is a three-dimensional, hand-sieved paper diffuser, crafted in collaboration with artisans from the Yunnan region in southwest China. The diffuser was formed on a vegetable sieve purchased at a local market, the LED repurposed from a Taobao headlamp, and the 3D-printed aluminum base produced and delivered within just three working days.

The lamp’s design avoids any irreversible connections between its components. Four screws secure the technical elements within the aluminum base, a metal wire clips neatly onto the base, and the paper shade is held in place with a simple magnet.

The ideal spot for a birdhouse is a few meters above ground, shielded from sun and rain. Placing it under the roof of a house, near a drainpipe, offers birds both safety and comfort. Flair 110 builds on this idea by integrating familiar, standardised elements from these surroundings to create a bird shelter that blends into its environment—without the need for complex wall-mounted installation.

For the final bird houses custom made hand rolled tube were produced in Zürich

Feuerwerksspieler is designed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Mono tea product line. In a coordinated choreography, tiny explosions ignite as a gentle and delicate fireworks display under the glass domes of Mono Tea, the most striking elements of Tassilo von Grolman's design classic.

First sketch

Similar to a record player, Feuerwerkspieler tries to enhance the ambiance of it surroundings in a pleasing way.

Fireworks during the opening at Lobe Block in Berlin

Unlike ordinary fireworks that seek to impress with their power and strength, I tried to give this tabletop firework a modest character while still retaining the elements that fascinate: Sparks, smoke and the smell of burnt black powder. The object is designed to repeat the show as many times as desired after recharging the firework magazines.

The technical set-up was designed in collaboration with pyrotechnician Ruben Günther.

Fabian Frinzel

Mono factory visit

The object was designed along with nine other works. All participants were invited to deconstruct, recontextualize, play with and intervene in the materials of the Mono teapots and their iconic appearance to develop new perspectives on the design classic.

The Dip series consists of six vases in different sizes. Made of paper and beeswax, it is a completely natural and fully biodegradable product.

The light transmission of the paper is increased by the beeswax.

Dip combines the structural tension and absorbency of paper with the adhesive and sealing properties of beeswax. In the production process, cnc cut paper is dipped in liquid beeswax to form light yet strong paper vases. When filled with water, the vases can easily hold far overhanging flowers.

Custom made pot to dip large formats

Within a single step, the assembled paper structure is fused and sealed together creating a waterproof composite material.

Cnc cutting and writing process

The Upgrade candle holder is made of beeswax and fits standard-sized stick candles. In addition to a sturdy stand, it has some upgrades to offer: While burning, the candle and holder merge to form a singular candle with an extended burn duration and a natural beeswax scent.

Spezi is a home speaker developed together with the Yamaha Design Lab that interacts between multiple music-playing devices. Where normally disconnecting a device and connecting to another is a common issue with wireless sound systems, this speaker allows a connection with four channels simultaneously.

Younès Klouche

A whiteboard surface allows easy and joyful labeling of the four channels

The volume of each channel can be adjusted by lifting the corresponding antenna, which also gives visual feedback on its volume. By overlaying channels, transitions in between songs from different devices become possible and turn the speaker into a music mixer.

The starting point for the project was my experience as a low-tech DJ at house parties, where I used one phone to play the music and another to pre-select the next song. Here I wished to be able to connect both phones to the speaker at the same time.

Nowadays, open flames are used almost exclusively for parties and romantic evenings. But the excellent lighting properties of a flame are also suitable for everyday situations and are attracting increasing interest as an alternative to electric lighting.

Functional mock-up

In times of climate crisis, energy shortages and light pollution, oil lamps, when powered by vegetable oil, offer a sustainable alternative to portable battery lamps.

Selection of functional and visual prototypes

Oellamp is designed to be used at home for reading and ambient light.

What Shall We Eat This Time, a research-based project of Ann-Kathrin Müller and Julia Schäfer, is based on two cookbooks written by Dr. Erna Meyer in 1931 and 1936. Erna Meyer was involved in the Werkbund exhibition in Stuttgart in 1927 and emigrated to Palestine in 1933. Her recipes reveal the political upheaval of two states. By cooking and eating, WSWETT examines the formation of cultural identities through the process of food preparation.

Julia Schäfer & Ann-Kathrin Müller

WSWETT dishes

For the exhibition dinner evenings at the Weissenhof Gallery in Stuttgart, I designed a furniture system which emphasizes a communal and vivid food experience. Guests could get a filled tray at a counter and attach it to the stool they like. Each unit serves one person, so guests could arrange them to variable forms.

Hack during the event

Candle 7 refers to the classic candle holders with multiple arms. Each of the four sections burns differently due to the different diameters of the candle.

Julia Nguyen

Production process

I'm fascinated by the simple function and strong symbolism of candles. They’ve been around for around 40,000 years and even the invention of electricity hasn't been able to challenge their existence. Around 2017, I started making candles as birthday presents and since then, I’ve never really stopped.

Take Away is a bench made from folded 4 mm galvanised sheet metal. Originally designed for a music and arts festival, visitors could sit down and relax as a snack would do on the counter of a fast-food restaurant.

Inspiration

Patrick Juncker

Nachtsichtfestival at Eiermann Campus, Stuttgart

Campus ABK Stuttgart

Wasserbank is situated in a small lake in the Black Forest. It was built in a day, while staying in a cabin near the lake with friends. The feeling of sitting so close to the water is very pleasant.