Molo
An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about molo
Project • By molo • Exhibitions
Escaping the Weight of Darkness
molo is very pleased to be able to share images from Escaping the Weight of Darkness, a work commissioned and performed by the National Ballet of Japan. Premiered in Tokyo, the performance uses custom-made cloud softlights constructed from molo’s modified textile material.molo’s work with Jessica Lang began in 2011 when she was commissioned to create a new work for the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Discovering molo products while doing research, she instigated an artistic collaboration with molo’s founders, Stephanie Forsythe + Todd MacAllen. Forsythe + MacAllen knew their flexible designs had potential for performance and had considered collaborating with a choreographer (both had studied and were inspired by collaborative works between Isamu N... More
Project • By molo • Art Galleries
Vancouver Art Gallery - Grand Hotel
The Vancouver Art Gallery has just launched a major exhibition, Grand Hotel: Redesigning Modern Life, and molo’s cloud softlight mobiles are hanging prominently in the main atrium of the gallery.Commissioned by the VAG, the gallery says “[Grand Hotel] charts the evolution of the hotel from its humble origins as an isolate and utilitarian structure to a cultural phenomenon that figures prominently within the global landscape… The title of the exhibition acknowledges the formative image produced in the influential 1932 Hollywood film Grand Hotel where the lives of individuals interweave during a brief hotel stay yet remain, to some degree, compartmentalized. The film depicted a thoroughly modern condition and demonstrated the potency of the h... More
Project • By molo • Restaurants
Nobu Restaurant in Las Vegas
Designed by David Rockwell and Rockwell Group, Nobu Las Vegas is lit by a breathtaking wave of cloud softlight mobiles flowing overhead. Against the dark backdrop, the mobiles appear to float without constraint and have a continuous, subtle rhythm as move in the air currents flowing around the dining area.The cloud softlight mobiles descend from the tall ceilings to balance above clientele in the main dining area, giving the very large restaurant (11,200 square feet and over 300 seats) an intimate feel. To further refine the desired mood, the lights are always dimmed; Rockwell specified very exact lighting levels for the space – to be lit exactly 50% of their full brightness during all dining hours. cloud’s distinctive form and visual promi... More
Product • By molo • cantilever table
cantilever table
cantilever table, available in both sitting and standing height, can stretch and flex to almost any size and shape, then fold away for efficient storage. cantilever table paper fans open and connects magnetically to itself, making set up and take down simple. The circular tops, available in a sustainable, engineered wood or white Carrera marble, create a sense of equality and community amongst coworkers. The glass pencil holder acts as a spindle for the sketching circles accessory, a wonderful way to share ideas and drawings amongst collaborators. Multiple bases may also be magnetically connected, allowing cantilever table to be manipulated to create versatile forms for collaborative, creative workspaces. Sold in sets of six, the modular we... More
thinwall
thinwall is a flexible paper space partition. Measuring only 8.75cm (3.5”) wide, it offers diverse new applications such as an acoustic, sculptural interior space liner for solid walls, columns, and ceilings; a flexible wrap for closet/storage areas, reception desks, and other millwork; or a partition for shaping more intimate areas within any larger space. More
benchwall
benchwall is an expandable, flexible paper bench with a 1.8 meter (6’) tall back rest that functions as an acoustic space partition as well as seating. Flexible in length, benchwall can stretch into a long straight, high backed bench or be swept into a bench-lined room for intimate meetings. More
Project • By molo • Exhibitions
Installation at Maison & Objet Paris
molo unveiled a custom installation of paper softblocks built to an unprecedented height of 5 metres at Maison & Objet in Paris.softblock is part of molo’s soft collection developed by Stephanie Forsythe + Todd MacAllen. The soft collection uses lightweight materials—papers and textile—to create a system of modular partitions, seating, and lighting. Flexible honeycomb elements of various heights, colours and materials may all connect to one another, simply and seamlessly, with concealed magnets to create continuous lengths.softblock + softwall has been used for everything from elegant and flexible room partitions, to temporary outdoor dining tables; from sound dampening backdrops for theatre performances, to acting as a speaker themselv... More
Nebuta House
Nebuta House is a museum and cultural centre dedicated to all aspects of the Nebuta festival in Aomori.In 2002, Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen won an international architecture competition for their design of a housing and community project in Aomori, Japan. The competition was judged by Tadao Ando and Jean Nouvel, and sponsored by the City of Aomori. Over the project’s course, the program evolved from housing and community facilities into a unique cultural building inspired by the craftsmanship and spirit of Aomori’s Nebuta Festival. In 2007, Forsythe + MacAllen invited ddt/Arch and Frank la Rivière Architects Inc, together with the structural team of Kanebako Structural Engineers and the services engineers of PT Morimura & Assoc... More
cork peg
cork peg is a wall hook that uses a magnetic mounting system. cork is renewable, beautiful and naturally antibacterial; lending the simple form to diverse uses from door stop to toilet paper holder.The weight bearing capacity of short cork peg is 7lbs (3.2kg). The longer peg supports a similar weight at the anchor point, but weakens towards the outer tip from leverage. More
heartfelt lantern for Japan
molo made a limited run of 50 luminaries with the Japanese “sun-disc” hand painted on the lantern and its packaging. The full proceeds were donated to support Architecture for Humanity’s reconstruction efforts in Japan. More
Product • By molo • softwall + softblock with LED
softwall + softblock with LED
Flexible LED ribbons integrate with textile softwall + softblock to transform the elements into expressive, luminous space partitions. Light emphasizes the subtle beauty of the textile material, illuminating the delicate fibres and dissolving into the surroundings to intensify mood or spatial experience. More
cappello
cappello is a modest tribute to Achille Castiglioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and Ingo Maurer — designers who have given molo (and the world) much joy and inspiration. The Carrara marble base is extracted from the base of the iconic floor lamp designed by the Castiglioni brothers in 1962. cappello is lit by LED and shaded by a paper cap, or “cappello” in Italian. A simple magnetic connection allows the shade to slide to any position along the steel wire that springs from the marble base. The magnetic connection also allows the paper cap to tilt, adjusting the direction of the light and giving this little table lamp a gestural quality. More
Product • By molo • float glassware
float glassware
Master glassblowers in the Czech Republic handcraft each piece. The suspended bowl design of float creates a liquid lens, projecting a play of coloured light onto the table top. The design also performs a practical insulating function, so your hand will not warm white wine or burn against hot tea. When serving a cold drink, condensation will form a delicate pattern on the underbelly of the suspended bowl, alleviating the risk of wet rings on your table top. More
Product • By molo • cloud mast
cloud mast
A mechanical luminary, cloud mast balances earth and air. The mast is crowned by a boom that supports a luminous canopy of clouds and a dangling fishing weight. As air currents shift, the clouds rise and fall like ships floating on gentle seas. The weight responds to each change, locked in a perpetual search for equilibrium. This natural rhythm creates an enthralling visual, and the comforting sense of lounging under a tree.When illuminated, LEDs cast soft glow through the textile honeycomb shades. The suspension boom revolves around the mast, allowing light to move through a space with ease. As a floor supported luminary, cloud mast is ideal for temporary installations or within spaces where electrical wiring might disrupt the ceiling... More
Product • By molo • urchin softlight
urchin softlight
urchin softlight invites playful interaction. Using flexible honeycomb geometry, the textile shade expands and morphs into myriad shapes as you manipulate it with your hands. Its curious motion is akin to that of a sea creature, giving the luminary its unique name. More