Japanese designers Nendo will present this display unit with shelves that are only 5mm thick at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London next month.

The Scatter Shelf is made of glossy acrylic sheets, arranged in a grid formation from the front but a staggered configuration from the side.

The glossy surface slices up reflections when viewed from an angle and scatters them in all directions.

The piece will also be on show at Friedman Benda in New York from 10 November.

See all our stories about Nendo here.

Photographs are by Masayuki Hayashi.

Here are some more details from Nendo:

Nendo will show a new piece “scatter shelf” at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London during the Frieze Art Fair, and Friedman Benda in NY from November 10th.

The scatter shelf is composed of 5mm black acrylic shelves in a grid form, stacked in three layers and slightly displaced. The resulting shelving unit is not only structurally strong but creates a visual effect in which objects placed on the shelves appear as though caught in a spider’s web when viewed from the front.

When viewed on an angle, the glossy acrylic face creates a series of reflections within the shelves, making the ‘opaque’ acrylic appear to be transparent.

The diffused reflections caused by the ‘surfaces’ shine and form also separates and scatters the view behind the shelving unit, creating a completely kaleidoscopic effect.