Zeller & Moye use ultra-thin concrete for an exhibition design in Switzerland

Christoph Zeller and Ingrid Moye from Zeller & Moye designed a furniture line and exhibition elements for the “Neue Stoffe-New Stuff” exhibition at the Textilmuseum St. Gallen in Switzerland. Stiff is made of ultrathin industrial textile concrete and servers as a backdrop for a survey on technical textiles. The Concrete Canvas is an industrial product originally developed for outdoor applications such as slope protection, water channel lining and instant shelters. Reimagining its primary function, the design duo developed curvy shapes that become walls, tables, pedestals and seats. The soft cotton surface of the hybrid material contrasts with the thin but hard concrete, providing the necessary stability to the free-standing shapes.

The collection has been developed through various scale models. A number of forms were selected for tests at real scale with a thirteen millimeters thick textile concrete in the workshop. Simple boards and trestles served as moulds to generate bent shapes. The dry-textile concrete mat has been draped into position, and then watered. Loading tests showed results as one hundred kilograms being supported by the material.