april 2025
Prof.
Federico Grazzini & Victoria H. Alsayed
infinity within a curve
CONCEPT
Mobi is a coffee table made of two strips of bent plywood, joined together where they meet the floor to form a single continuous ribbon. It was obviously inspired by the Möbius strip, the famous non-orientable surface that in its extreme simplicity defies conventional Euclidean geometry and embodies the idea of transformation through space.
The concept was developed in Fall 2023 by Victoria Alsayed and her instructor, architect Federico Grazzini, during the second-year Furniture Design course, part of the BA in Interior Design at the Florence Institute of Design International. Both Victoria and Federico felt that this was too brilliant an idea to just let it sit in the archives, and decided to develop it further outside the school, trying to bring it to life. The first step was to refine the 3D model, gaining more refined control on the curvature of plywood while mantaining both the functional integrity of the piece and a certain geometric simplicity. A 1:5 scale physical model was then printed. Further exploration of technical issues and finer tuning is certainly necessary, but the designers feel that the product has now matured enough to be shared with a wider audience, and ideally meet a sympathetic manufacturing company.
Mobi has a lot to offer besides ts originality. While conceived as a coffee table, it can be used as a bench thanks to its structural strength and ergonomic design. The two staggered surfaces can be used independently, while the curved legs create playful alcoves for pets or kids, or can be used as repositories for books, magazines or other items. It has potential outside the domestic realm, as it can be lined up to form a modular array in lobbies or galleries, as well as scattered around as a sculptural, visual focal point in a variety of interiors.
Mobi is the result of a productive collaboration between student and instructor, and an example of how academic work can evolve into viable design proposals. With its distinctive form, multifunctional use, and strong visual identity, it’s ready to move beyond the prototype stage.
We sincerely hope you like it.
CONCEPT
GENERATIVE PROCESS
two levels
plywood texture flowing form
3D MODEL
WHERE INFINITY MEETS DESIGN
flexible use two levels
residential
residential
hospitality
