#BeOpenDESIGN
Swiss-designed by UJUAL, U Space reimagines the laptop bag as a portable workstation, drawing on the folding logic of Japanese origami to transform from a carry bag into a stable work surface in a single motion. Designed for mobile workers, students and travelers, it can be carried as a briefcase, messenger bag or backpack while providing quick-access magnetic storage for everyday essentials. Available in multiple sizes and finishes, the durable bag can carry up to 20 kilograms and accommodates devices ranging from compact tablets to 16-inch laptops, turning almost any temporary location into a functional workspace.
Swiss-designed by UJUAL, U Space reimagines the laptop bag as a portable workstation, drawing on the folding logic of Japanese origami to transform from a carry bag into a stable work surface in a single motion. Designed for mobile workers, students and travelers, it can be carried as a briefcase, messenger bag or backpack while providing quick-access magnetic storage for everyday essentials. Available in multiple sizes and finishes, the durable bag can carry up to 20 kilograms and accommodates devices ranging from compact tablets to 16-inch laptops, turning almost any temporary location into a functional workspace.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Freckle, developed by startup Freckle with design studio Body Shop, reimagines the children’s mobile phone as a tool for exploration rather than constant entertainment or parental surveillance. Designed for ages seven to 13, its custom ClayOS replaces social media, browsers and app stores with features such as outdoor quests, an AI-powered discovery camera, storytelling tools, maps and walkie-talkie functions, encouraging children to explore independently. Its rugged, lanyard-worn form is inspired by binoculars, while privacy-conscious safety features aim to give parents reassurance without turning the phone into a tracking device.
Freckle, developed by startup Freckle with design studio Body Shop, reimagines the children’s mobile phone as a tool for exploration rather than constant entertainment or parental surveillance. Designed for ages seven to 13, its custom ClayOS replaces social media, browsers and app stores with features such as outdoor quests, an AI-powered discovery camera, storytelling tools, maps and walkie-talkie functions, encouraging children to explore independently. Its rugged, lanyard-worn form is inspired by binoculars, while privacy-conscious safety features aim to give parents reassurance without turning the phone into a tracking device.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Shanghai-based designer Tongqi Lu’s Call It a Day is a three-piece lighting collection designed around effortless interaction. Comprising a table lamp, floor lamp, and pendant, the collection uses soft translucent silicone shades that respond to taps, presses, and pulls instead of conventional switches. Developed through full-scale cardboard prototypes and hand-cast silicone molds, the lamps combine tactile controls, a woven-like surface texture, and a playful yellow cable to create lighting designed for moments when precision is the last thing you want.
Shanghai-based designer Tongqi Lu’s Call It a Day is a three-piece lighting collection designed around effortless interaction. Comprising a table lamp, floor lamp, and pendant, the collection uses soft translucent silicone shades that respond to taps, presses, and pulls instead of conventional switches. Developed through full-scale cardboard prototypes and hand-cast silicone molds, the lamps combine tactile controls, a woven-like surface texture, and a playful yellow cable to create lighting designed for moments when precision is the last thing you want.
#BeOpenARCH
What if shingles could dance with the wind? In What the Stones Whisper, Italian design practice Collectif MAGMA reimagines Lunano’s historic stone towers as a six-metre-tall timber installation wrapped in suspended wooden shingles. Hung from jute ropes, the layered elements sway with the breeze, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow while allowing air and sound to pass through. Built in just two weeks using lightweight timber frames and simple construction techniques, the installation transforms traditional cladding into a dynamic architectural skin, exploring the relationship between heritage, material innovation and the ever-changing landscape.
More shingle-clad structures on our blog.
What if shingles could dance with the wind? In What the Stones Whisper, Italian design practice Collectif MAGMA reimagines Lunano’s historic stone towers as a six-metre-tall timber installation wrapped in suspended wooden shingles. Hung from jute ropes, the layered elements sway with the breeze, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow while allowing air and sound to pass through. Built in just two weeks using lightweight timber frames and simple construction techniques, the installation transforms traditional cladding into a dynamic architectural skin, exploring the relationship between heritage, material innovation and the ever-changing landscape.
More shingle-clad structures on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Designed by Joao Teixeira, TWIST reimagines the humble side table as a sculptural, multifunctional object. Crafted from a single flowing sheet of metal, its continuous form combines a circular tabletop, an integrated carry handle, and an open storage compartment for books and magazines. A wooden base adds warmth, while a subtle orange accent brings a playful touch to its minimalist silhouette. Balancing practicality with expressive design, TWIST proves that even the smallest piece of furniture can make a lasting impression.
More impressive metal furniture on our blog.
Designed by Joao Teixeira, TWIST reimagines the humble side table as a sculptural, multifunctional object. Crafted from a single flowing sheet of metal, its continuous form combines a circular tabletop, an integrated carry handle, and an open storage compartment for books and magazines. A wooden base adds warmth, while a subtle orange accent brings a playful touch to its minimalist silhouette. Balancing practicality with expressive design, TWIST proves that even the smallest piece of furniture can make a lasting impression.
More impressive metal furniture on our blog.
#BeOpenART
Greek land artist The Krank has created Wound, a temporary 50-metre-long land art installation in Erimitis, Corfu, that draws a parallel between bodily trauma and environmental damage. An oversized red incision cuts across a previously disturbed section of landscape, while black stitches—created and positioned with help from the local community and the Save Erimitis initiative—visually reconnect its edges. Installed in an area shaped by years of development disputes, the work transforms the physical scars left by bulldozers into a powerful reflection on ecological vulnerability, collective action and the uncertain future of one of Corfu’s remaining undeveloped coastal ecosystems.
Greek land artist The Krank has created Wound, a temporary 50-metre-long land art installation in Erimitis, Corfu, that draws a parallel between bodily trauma and environmental damage. An oversized red incision cuts across a previously disturbed section of landscape, while black stitches—created and positioned with help from the local community and the Save Erimitis initiative—visually reconnect its edges. Installed in an area shaped by years of development disputes, the work transforms the physical scars left by bulldozers into a powerful reflection on ecological vulnerability, collective action and the uncertain future of one of Corfu’s remaining undeveloped coastal ecosystems.
#BeOpenARCH
German architecture practice Wulf Architekten reimagines the Museum Oberamteistrasse in Reutlingen by combining the restoration of medieval buildings with a contemporary timber structure that completes the historic street corner. Dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, the preserved buildings retain their original timber frames and stone foundations, which now serve as integral parts of the museum experience. The new volume references the proportions and rooflines of its surroundings without replicating them, using translucent cast-glass shingles inspired by traditional beaver-tail tiles to create a luminous facade and roof. Inside, exposed triangular timber trusses frame the exhibition spaces, while a sweeping staircase connects the contemporary structure with the archaeological remains below, bringing historic fabric and modern craftsmanship into dialogue.
German architecture practice Wulf Architekten reimagines the Museum Oberamteistrasse in Reutlingen by combining the restoration of medieval buildings with a contemporary timber structure that completes the historic street corner. Dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, the preserved buildings retain their original timber frames and stone foundations, which now serve as integral parts of the museum experience. The new volume references the proportions and rooflines of its surroundings without replicating them, using translucent cast-glass shingles inspired by traditional beaver-tail tiles to create a luminous facade and roof. Inside, exposed triangular timber trusses frame the exhibition spaces, while a sweeping staircase connects the contemporary structure with the archaeological remains below, bringing historic fabric and modern craftsmanship into dialogue.
#BeOpenART #BeOpenDESIGN
Bulgarian graffiti artist XPOME transforms public sculpture into an interactive skatepark with Skateable, an installation in Gabrovo that spells out the artist’s name through five oversized concrete and steel letters. Created for an exhibition exploring the history of skateboarding in Bulgaria, the work sits outside the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center, bridging cultural display and contemporary skate culture. Each letter doubles as a functional feature, from a double quarter pipe shaped like an X to a rail-wrapped P, a volcano-like O, a grindable M and a jumping platform forming the E. By inviting visitors to skate, rest and interact with the structure, XPOME reimagines public art as an active, shared experience rather than an object meant only to be observed.
Bulgarian graffiti artist XPOME transforms public sculpture into an interactive skatepark with Skateable, an installation in Gabrovo that spells out the artist’s name through five oversized concrete and steel letters. Created for an exhibition exploring the history of skateboarding in Bulgaria, the work sits outside the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center, bridging cultural display and contemporary skate culture. Each letter doubles as a functional feature, from a double quarter pipe shaped like an X to a rail-wrapped P, a volcano-like O, a grindable M and a jumping platform forming the E. By inviting visitors to skate, rest and interact with the structure, XPOME reimagines public art as an active, shared experience rather than an object meant only to be observed.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Josipa Krolo as the Artist of the Month for October 2026. A Croatian contemporary painter, Krolo explores social change, memory, and the complex relationship between place and identity. Her artistic practice examines how urban environments evolve under economic and social pressures, and how these transformations affect communities, their histories, and their sense of belonging. Krolo studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona and the Arts Academy of Split, where she completed her MA in 2018.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners advancing to compete for the title of Artist of the Year 2026. The overall winner will receive a €1,000 prize and promotional support from BE OPEN Art.
We warmly congratulate Josipa Krolo on this recognition and celebrate her thoughtful artistic contribution to the BE OPEN Art community.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Josipa Krolo as the Artist of the Month for October 2026. A Croatian contemporary painter, Krolo explores social change, memory, and the complex relationship between place and identity. Her artistic practice examines how urban environments evolve under economic and social pressures, and how these transformations affect communities, their histories, and their sense of belonging. Krolo studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona and the Arts Academy of Split, where she completed her MA in 2018.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners advancing to compete for the title of Artist of the Year 2026. The overall winner will receive a €1,000 prize and promotional support from BE OPEN Art.
We warmly congratulate Josipa Krolo on this recognition and celebrate her thoughtful artistic contribution to the BE OPEN Art community.