Flexible room divider
A sculpural curlicue
ANE is neither a folding screen nor a curtain; it is a combination of both. This product may be new, but its organic shape makes it seem as though it has always been there. As if designer Maarten Baptist has drawn the room divider with a single stroke of his pen, in the air.
JOINE room divider ANE
Design Maarten Baptist and Pim Spiekerman
Images by Anette Born
Special thanks to Van der Hoorn bendtechnique and Kvadrat
In the first place, the clear shape of room divider ANE by Maarten Baptist of design studio JOINE calls to mind a feeling of recognition. It makes you think: ‘Where have I seen this before?’ However, ANE is a completely new product: a curtain and a folding screen in one. Its obstinate but clear shape makes it conspicuous without being obtrusive; the rounded curves of this room divider are too graceful for that. In fact, it is nothing more than one long steel pipe with a stretch of fabric attached.
Self-confident, this giant curlicue claims its own space. As if it was to say: I am not a curtain and neither am I a folding screen; I am an extension of the architecture. In this, ANE distinguishes itself from the existing folding screens that have been constructed from one or more flat panels. These are almost two-dimensional objects, with a corresponding flat personality. The room divider by Marten Baptist has a sculptural shape that seems to move through the space. As if the designer has drawn the room divider with a single stroke of his pen in the air, like the conductor of an orchestra.
But the simplicity of this design is misleading. You can slide the curtain open and shut, which gives this room divider a high level of user friendliness. The curtain can also be made from a great many samples of textiles; the only thing that can not be adapted is the curled shape of the pipe. This allows for endless variations in colours and textures, which is what makes its execution so flexible. Everyone can create his or her own unique room divider, literally in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. And, being able to choose your own textiles makes it possible to experiment with acoustics and light reflection; a thicker and darker curtain will absorb more light and sound.
Although the shape has an organic look to it, Maarten Baptist has given plenty of thought to the design, into the smallest details. For aesthetic reasons, the curlicues could not be too large. But at the same time, they must add stability to the construction so that the screen will not topple over when the curtain is opened and closed. The pipe should also be as thin as possible, so that the room divider is light-weight and can be moved easily – not an unnecessary requirement for a room divider.
The design has been developed by Maarten Baptist into a prototype ready for production. It was exhibited for the first time at the Dutch Design Week 2008 in Eindhoven.
© Jeroen Junte
JOINE room divider ANE
Design Maarten Baptist and Pim Spiekerman
Images by Anette Born
Special thanks to Van der Hoorn bendtechnique and Kvadrat
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