Reinforcing steel was bent into shapes and welded together to create panels with a variety of patterns adapted from ancient Chinese designs, then hinged together.

The designs aim to contrast the intricate forms often found in oriental decoration and the industrial materials from modern day construction.

MICROmarco Lab exhibited the space dividers in the Caochangdi art district in north-east Beijing during the design week, where lenticular printed maps of the city's hutongs were also shown.

See all our stories from Beijing Design Week 2012 »

Here's some more information from the designer:

CONtradition by MICROmacro Lab

The use of construction materials complicates a dialogue between ancient Chinese motifs and contemporary furniture design processes.

CONtradition is design research inspired by the reaction generated in the exchange between design identities. Though inspired by traditional Chinese forms, the collection introduces construction materials to furniture design.

Led by the materials employed, the series instigates a dialogue between the roughness and strength of the materials and the elusive elegance of traditional Chinese design motifs. The apparent contradiction between the essentiality of contemporary design and the preciousness of antique style resolves to show that new and old can establish a deep and meaningful conversation.

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by MICROmacro Lab appeared first on Dezeen.