#BeOpenDESIGN
Immersive Resilience Garden by Seoul & London–based design and architecture studio StudioReBuild transforms a section of Seoul’s Ttuksom Han River Park into a multi-layered, nature-driven retreat that blurs the boundary between urban infrastructure and ecological experience. Centered around a submerged lounge and a 3D maze-like garden system, the project invites visitors into a 360-degree sensory environment where plants, people, and non-human species coexist. Inspired by natural interactions among insects and vegetation, the design uses tiered planting and perennial species to create a self-sustaining landscape that evolves across seasons while enhancing biodiversity and microclimate. Combining computational fabrication with ecological thinking, the project demonstrates how resource-efficient design can produce immersive public spaces that counter urban overstimulation and foster deeper connections with nature.
Immersive Resilience Garden by Seoul & London–based design and architecture studio StudioReBuild transforms a section of Seoul’s Ttuksom Han River Park into a multi-layered, nature-driven retreat that blurs the boundary between urban infrastructure and ecological experience. Centered around a submerged lounge and a 3D maze-like garden system, the project invites visitors into a 360-degree sensory environment where plants, people, and non-human species coexist. Inspired by natural interactions among insects and vegetation, the design uses tiered planting and perennial species to create a self-sustaining landscape that evolves across seasons while enhancing biodiversity and microclimate. Combining computational fabrication with ecological thinking, the project demonstrates how resource-efficient design can produce immersive public spaces that counter urban overstimulation and foster deeper connections with nature.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Aya Mostafa as the Artist of the Month for April 2026. Based in Cairo, Egypt, Mostafa is a visual artist working across painting, storyboarding, and digital graphics. A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University (2020), her practice is rooted in the vibrant language of pop art, where bold color and expressive portraiture bring everyday moments to life.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners competing for the Artist of the Year 2026 title, which includes a €1,000 prize and promotional support.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Aya Mostafa as the Artist of the Month for April 2026. Based in Cairo, Egypt, Mostafa is a visual artist working across painting, storyboarding, and digital graphics. A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University (2020), her practice is rooted in the vibrant language of pop art, where bold color and expressive portraiture bring everyday moments to life.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners competing for the Artist of the Year 2026 title, which includes a €1,000 prize and promotional support.
#BeOpenNEWS
Register your events for World Environment Day! This year is a moment to rethink how we power our economies and restore our relationship with the climate. Whether you’re a school, business, community group, or government, you’re invited to host an event around 5 June.
Getting involved is simple:
Fill out the registration form to add your event and make your efforts visible.
Explore the interactive map to discover activities happening near you and connect with others taking action.
Join the movement. Register your event. Be part of the change.
Register your events for World Environment Day! This year is a moment to rethink how we power our economies and restore our relationship with the climate. Whether you’re a school, business, community group, or government, you’re invited to host an event around 5 June.
Getting involved is simple:
Fill out the registration form to add your event and make your efforts visible.
Explore the interactive map to discover activities happening near you and connect with others taking action.
Join the movement. Register your event. Be part of the change.
#BeOpenDESIGN
The Bublyk lounge chair by Andrii Kovalskyi turns a simple idea into a striking piece of design storytelling. Drawing from the ring-shaped bread that gives it its name, the chair builds on torus geometry and cylindrical volumes to create a soft, sculptural form that feels both playful and intentional. Wrapped in richly textured upholstery, its bold silhouette balances visual impact with genuine comfort, challenging the notion that furniture must choose between the two. More than a statement piece, Bublyk hints at a broader system of modular forms, suggesting a design language that is as adaptable as it is memorable.
More unconventional soft furniture on our blog.
The Bublyk lounge chair by Andrii Kovalskyi turns a simple idea into a striking piece of design storytelling. Drawing from the ring-shaped bread that gives it its name, the chair builds on torus geometry and cylindrical volumes to create a soft, sculptural form that feels both playful and intentional. Wrapped in richly textured upholstery, its bold silhouette balances visual impact with genuine comfort, challenging the notion that furniture must choose between the two. More than a statement piece, Bublyk hints at a broader system of modular forms, suggesting a design language that is as adaptable as it is memorable.
More unconventional soft furniture on our blog.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
Mncobi Mndzebele has been named the April 2026 winner of the BE OPEN Art Limitless programme, recognised for his distinctive portrait practice that explores African identity, culture, and womanhood through everyday materials like ballpoint pen and coffee stains. A self-taught artist from Eswatini, he creates sepia-toned backgrounds using coffee before building finely detailed, expressive portraits that celebrate Black African skin, heritage, and resilience.
Throughout 2026, BE OPEN continues to highlight artists whose work reflects sustainable approaches to artistic practice. Each month, a winning artist is selected and featured in the online gallery, and at the end of the year, three artists will be chosen from the monthly winners by members of the BE OPEN community to receive monetary awards and increased international visibility from the BE OPEN Foundation.
Mncobi Mndzebele has been named the April 2026 winner of the BE OPEN Art Limitless programme, recognised for his distinctive portrait practice that explores African identity, culture, and womanhood through everyday materials like ballpoint pen and coffee stains. A self-taught artist from Eswatini, he creates sepia-toned backgrounds using coffee before building finely detailed, expressive portraits that celebrate Black African skin, heritage, and resilience.
Throughout 2026, BE OPEN continues to highlight artists whose work reflects sustainable approaches to artistic practice. Each month, a winning artist is selected and featured in the online gallery, and at the end of the year, three artists will be chosen from the monthly winners by members of the BE OPEN community to receive monetary awards and increased international visibility from the BE OPEN Foundation.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Geometriæ by Swedish studio Front for Italian brand Moroso turns furniture into a study of drawing made physical. Inspired by classic 3D perspective sketches, the collection builds seating and tables from intersecting geometric volumes that still feel like they belong on paper rather than in a room. Upholstered in custom jacquard textiles, the surfaces recreate pencil shading and watercolor gradients, translating light and shadow directly into fabric.
The result is a deliberate visual confusion where depth is unstable and forms appear to oscillate between flat illustration and solid object. By treating drawing techniques as structural logic, Geometriæ blurs the boundary between design representation and design reality, making furniture feel like it is continuously in the act of becoming.
More optical illusion furniture on our blog.
Geometriæ by Swedish studio Front for Italian brand Moroso turns furniture into a study of drawing made physical. Inspired by classic 3D perspective sketches, the collection builds seating and tables from intersecting geometric volumes that still feel like they belong on paper rather than in a room. Upholstered in custom jacquard textiles, the surfaces recreate pencil shading and watercolor gradients, translating light and shadow directly into fabric.
The result is a deliberate visual confusion where depth is unstable and forms appear to oscillate between flat illustration and solid object. By treating drawing techniques as structural logic, Geometriæ blurs the boundary between design representation and design reality, making furniture feel like it is continuously in the act of becoming.
More optical illusion furniture on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Korean designer Jongha Choi’s De-dimension collection rethinks furniture as both object and illusion, transforming flat, picture-like aluminium forms into fully functional stools and tables. Designed to blur the boundary between two-dimensional imagery and three-dimensional reality, each piece folds and unfolds like a physical sketch coming to life. While ideal for compact living, the project goes beyond practicality, offering a tactile exploration of perspective and challenging how we perceive images, objects, and space.
Korean designer Jongha Choi’s De-dimension collection rethinks furniture as both object and illusion, transforming flat, picture-like aluminium forms into fully functional stools and tables. Designed to blur the boundary between two-dimensional imagery and three-dimensional reality, each piece folds and unfolds like a physical sketch coming to life. While ideal for compact living, the project goes beyond practicality, offering a tactile exploration of perspective and challenging how we perceive images, objects, and space.
#BeOpenARCH
The Lotus Clubhouse by MIA Design Studio unfolds as a low, fragmented composition of circular pavilions set within a lakeside landscape in Vietnam. Organized as a series of dispersed volumes connected by curved paths and bridges, the architecture follows the terrain rather than imposing on it. Layered green roofs unify the scheme, integrating planting, solar systems, and water management into a continuous surface that regulates climate and blends the building with its surroundings. Structural columns expand into sculptural ceilings, creating open interiors that maintain visual continuity with the exterior. The result is a fluid architectural system where form, circulation, and environment operate as one.
The Lotus Clubhouse by MIA Design Studio unfolds as a low, fragmented composition of circular pavilions set within a lakeside landscape in Vietnam. Organized as a series of dispersed volumes connected by curved paths and bridges, the architecture follows the terrain rather than imposing on it. Layered green roofs unify the scheme, integrating planting, solar systems, and water management into a continuous surface that regulates climate and blends the building with its surroundings. Structural columns expand into sculptural ceilings, creating open interiors that maintain visual continuity with the exterior. The result is a fluid architectural system where form, circulation, and environment operate as one.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Beijing-based LUO Studio’s Shell Book Pavilion transforms a public plaza into a kinetic, open-ended reading space defined by movement and accessibility. Shaped as a clamshell, the lightweight aluminum structure lifts and lowers to create shifting spatial conditions, from an open canopy to a more enclosed interior. Designed without a fixed front or back, the pavilion invites 360-degree interaction, extending into the plaza through movable seating.
Beijing-based LUO Studio’s Shell Book Pavilion transforms a public plaza into a kinetic, open-ended reading space defined by movement and accessibility. Shaped as a clamshell, the lightweight aluminum structure lifts and lowers to create shifting spatial conditions, from an open canopy to a more enclosed interior. Designed without a fixed front or back, the pavilion invites 360-degree interaction, extending into the plaza through movable seating.
#BeOpenNEWS
The last day of public voting in the Design Equality competition!
Here are the top 50 entries in the Design Equality competition short-listed for the Public Vote based on such criteria as viability, feasibility and desirability of the design, evidence of a rigorous research process informing the solution proposed, and its creative value. The international jury panel will now review the top 50 entries to name the winners of the First, Second and Third prizes.
Meanwhile all those passionate about sustainability and creativity can cast their own vote in favour of the most promising projects.
The winner of the public online vote by the majority of votes will be awarded a grant of €2,000. The online vote will last till midnight May15th, 2026 (CET).
The last day of public voting in the Design Equality competition!
Here are the top 50 entries in the Design Equality competition short-listed for the Public Vote based on such criteria as viability, feasibility and desirability of the design, evidence of a rigorous research process informing the solution proposed, and its creative value. The international jury panel will now review the top 50 entries to name the winners of the First, Second and Third prizes.
Meanwhile all those passionate about sustainability and creativity can cast their own vote in favour of the most promising projects.
The winner of the public online vote by the majority of votes will be awarded a grant of €2,000. The online vote will last till midnight May15th, 2026 (CET).
#BeOpenNEWS
DESIGN EQUALITY is the 7th international competition in the SDG-focused programme run by BE OPEN. Open to students and graduates worldwide, the competition encourages innovative solutions by young people for a more sustainable future.
Empowering women and girls plays a critical role in accelerating economic growth and social development. By dedicating the 2025/2026 competition to SDG#5, BE OPEN promotes solutions advancing gender equality, meeting the needs of women and girls, and supporting women as innovators and entrepreneurs.
BE OPEN will reward winners with grants from €2,000 to €5,000, educational opportunities and trips to a sustainability event. This year’s jury includes Barbara della Rovere (FAO), Helen Watts (Student Energy), Anna Kaplina (UNECE), Peter Gamundani (GSSA), Anastasia Adamidou (Cyprus Gender Equality Office), Françoise Mlebinge (SOLIFEDE-RDC), Ajisafe Damilola Ifeoluwa (TerraYouth Africa).
The three main winners selected will be announced at end of May 2026.
DESIGN EQUALITY is the 7th international competition in the SDG-focused programme run by BE OPEN. Open to students and graduates worldwide, the competition encourages innovative solutions by young people for a more sustainable future.
Empowering women and girls plays a critical role in accelerating economic growth and social development. By dedicating the 2025/2026 competition to SDG#5, BE OPEN promotes solutions advancing gender equality, meeting the needs of women and girls, and supporting women as innovators and entrepreneurs.
BE OPEN will reward winners with grants from €2,000 to €5,000, educational opportunities and trips to a sustainability event. This year’s jury includes Barbara della Rovere (FAO), Helen Watts (Student Energy), Anna Kaplina (UNECE), Peter Gamundani (GSSA), Anastasia Adamidou (Cyprus Gender Equality Office), Françoise Mlebinge (SOLIFEDE-RDC), Ajisafe Damilola Ifeoluwa (TerraYouth Africa).
The three main winners selected will be announced at end of May 2026.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Israeli designer Omri Piko Kahan transforms discarded bicycle frames into sculptural lounge chairs that preserve every detail of their former life. By reorienting the frames instead of disguising them, the project turns industrial engineering into functional furniture with surprising elegance, structural intelligence, and a strong sense of material honesty.
More tubular furniture on our blog.
Israeli designer Omri Piko Kahan transforms discarded bicycle frames into sculptural lounge chairs that preserve every detail of their former life. By reorienting the frames instead of disguising them, the project turns industrial engineering into functional furniture with surprising elegance, structural intelligence, and a strong sense of material honesty.
More tubular furniture on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Aureole by Rollo Bryant reinterprets the spiral geometry of sunflower disk florets through advanced 3D printing and quartz sand construction. The sculptural wall lamp features densely layered organic textures that diffuse hidden backlighting into dramatic eclipse-like shadows, transforming a natural growth pattern into a futuristic lighting experience.
More nature-inspired lighting on our blog.
Aureole by Rollo Bryant reinterprets the spiral geometry of sunflower disk florets through advanced 3D printing and quartz sand construction. The sculptural wall lamp features densely layered organic textures that diffuse hidden backlighting into dramatic eclipse-like shadows, transforming a natural growth pattern into a futuristic lighting experience.
More nature-inspired lighting on our blog.
#BeOpenARCH
New York–based Studio Bucky’s Cucu is a compact off-grid cabin nestled within the rural landscape of Westmeath, Ireland. Clad in red-stained shingles that reference local agricultural structures, the cabin combines a striking exterior with a vertically organized interior inspired by traditional Irish tower houses. Its tapered form, plywood-lined spaces, and elevated sleeping loft create an intimate spatial experience that emphasizes height, light, and connection to nature.
New York–based Studio Bucky’s Cucu is a compact off-grid cabin nestled within the rural landscape of Westmeath, Ireland. Clad in red-stained shingles that reference local agricultural structures, the cabin combines a striking exterior with a vertically organized interior inspired by traditional Irish tower houses. Its tapered form, plywood-lined spaces, and elevated sleeping loft create an intimate spatial experience that emphasizes height, light, and connection to nature.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designer Matthew Whatley’s Novum Chair investigates the structural and aesthetic potential of bio-based composites in furniture design. Constructed from woven natural fibers bonded with plant-based resin, the chair develops a rigid monocoque shell where material texture remains visibly embedded within the surface. The continuous curved geometry distributes load through the composite skin while emphasizing the tactile qualities of the woven substrate. Rather than concealing its fabrication, the design foregrounds the interaction between fiber, resin, and form, proposing a material-led approach to furniture that moves beyond petrochemical plastics.
Designer Matthew Whatley’s Novum Chair investigates the structural and aesthetic potential of bio-based composites in furniture design. Constructed from woven natural fibers bonded with plant-based resin, the chair develops a rigid monocoque shell where material texture remains visibly embedded within the surface. The continuous curved geometry distributes load through the composite skin while emphasizing the tactile qualities of the woven substrate. Rather than concealing its fabrication, the design foregrounds the interaction between fiber, resin, and form, proposing a material-led approach to furniture that moves beyond petrochemical plastics.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Japanese designer Shigeya Miyata’s pause series recontextualizes discontinued Honda motorcycle components by embedding them within cast concrete forms to create functional domestic objects. By fixing precision-engineered mechanical parts into static material compositions, the project contrasts motion with stillness while exposing the formal and material qualities of components typically concealed within machines. Mirrors, vases, pen holders, and photo frames emerge as hybrid objects positioned between industrial artifact and sculptural furniture, where concrete acts both as structural mass and conceptual counterpoint to the engineered precision of the original parts.
Japanese designer Shigeya Miyata’s pause series recontextualizes discontinued Honda motorcycle components by embedding them within cast concrete forms to create functional domestic objects. By fixing precision-engineered mechanical parts into static material compositions, the project contrasts motion with stillness while exposing the formal and material qualities of components typically concealed within machines. Mirrors, vases, pen holders, and photo frames emerge as hybrid objects positioned between industrial artifact and sculptural furniture, where concrete acts both as structural mass and conceptual counterpoint to the engineered precision of the original parts.
#BeOpenART
Vitamins, a collaboration between designer Eleonore Buschinger (Vitamin Color) and photographer Tabea Mathern, repositions vegetables as a construction material for contemporary still-life and image-making. Developed in New York, the series replaces conventional industrial objects with assemblages of produce, where fruits, roots, and leaves are cut, layered, and structured into forms that mimic fashion accessories and household items. Each composition is physically prototyped and photographed in a narrow temporal window due to the perishability of the material, resulting in images that emphasize ephemerality, texture, and form.
Vitamins, a collaboration between designer Eleonore Buschinger (Vitamin Color) and photographer Tabea Mathern, repositions vegetables as a construction material for contemporary still-life and image-making. Developed in New York, the series replaces conventional industrial objects with assemblages of produce, where fruits, roots, and leaves are cut, layered, and structured into forms that mimic fashion accessories and household items. Each composition is physically prototyped and photographed in a narrow temporal window due to the perishability of the material, resulting in images that emphasize ephemerality, texture, and form.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Shanghai-based designer Mario Tsai’s Chopsticks Maker reinterprets the mechanics of a pencil sharpener as a portable tool for carving disposable chopsticks from found twigs. Compact and materially minimal, the device transforms raw branches into functional utensils through a simple rotational cutting process, emphasizing resourcefulness over manufactured convenience. By reducing cutlery to an on-site, biodegradable system, the project explores how familiar mechanical principles can be repurposed to create lightweight, low-impact tools rooted in improvisation and direct engagement with natural materials.
Shanghai-based designer Mario Tsai’s Chopsticks Maker reinterprets the mechanics of a pencil sharpener as a portable tool for carving disposable chopsticks from found twigs. Compact and materially minimal, the device transforms raw branches into functional utensils through a simple rotational cutting process, emphasizing resourcefulness over manufactured convenience. By reducing cutlery to an on-site, biodegradable system, the project explores how familiar mechanical principles can be repurposed to create lightweight, low-impact tools rooted in improvisation and direct engagement with natural materials.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Theo by PLANK transforms the folding chair from a temporary utility object into a refined architectural presence. Designed by Matteo Thun and Benedetto Fasciana, it pairs solid oak, molded plywood, and an elegantly integrated folding mechanism to create a chair that feels permanent even when it is portable. What sets Theo apart is its ability to blend contract-grade functionality with the warmth and sophistication of contemporary residential furniture.
More design-minded folding chairs on our blog.
Theo by PLANK transforms the folding chair from a temporary utility object into a refined architectural presence. Designed by Matteo Thun and Benedetto Fasciana, it pairs solid oak, molded plywood, and an elegantly integrated folding mechanism to create a chair that feels permanent even when it is portable. What sets Theo apart is its ability to blend contract-grade functionality with the warmth and sophistication of contemporary residential furniture.
More design-minded folding chairs on our blog.