London, 2019
Client: MoreySmith Architects
Materials: Tyvek, Stainless Steel Tension Cables, Magnets, Integrated LED Strip Lighting
Suspended Origami Ceilings began life as a bespoke 2m x 3m pilot panel, trialled for MoreySmith's new multinational London headquarters — a disciplined, geometric departure from our usual, intuitive art. Commissioned for a large-scale West End office development, the brief demanded ceilings that were sculptural yet technically adaptable, answering the architecture without overpowering the space. Folded Tyvek panels, hand-folded by us, hang between highly tensioned stainless steel cables for structural rigour, engineered to concertina and slide back on a special expanding origami fold — exposing the maintenance void, then returning to precise, magnet-held placement.
LED panels, layered between the Tyvek and the ceiling, animate the system with rhythm and repetition, while magnets ensure each panel returns to precise alignment. Developed collaboratively on site as the build evolved, it has since rolled out across 40 office ceilings and three circulation areas — an immersive ceiling landscape that lifts light, movement and everyday experience, offering mindful moments of surprise within a working environment.
“Fung & Bedford are experts of their artistic craft. Their passion and enthusiasm for their craft is infectious and collaborating with them is a creative joy. I look forward to continuing to innovate, creatively and technically to realise the beauty of origami in our interior spaces.”
— Nicola Osborn, Creative Director, Basha-Franklin (previously MoreySmith)
