8 radical industrial designs from Vivien Muller
French designer Vivien Muller isn't afraid to twist familiar technology into new, wild shapes. Take his OctoCube, for instance, pictured above. One could easily mistake it for a component designed for a Borg vessel, but it's actually just the coolest radiator you're ever likely to see.
Down below are seven more designs from Muller that are nothing short of beautiful, the first of which — his excellent Electree — you may actually be able to buy very soon. Muller tells us it will be the first time one of his designs has been offered up for sale (barring another one that was custom built, as you'll see in the gallery).
Electree, via Vivien Muller
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1. Electree Muller's Electree is designed to be as eye-catching as it is useful. It's a techno bonsai tree that has solar panels for leaves and will charge your iPhone up courtesy the sun. Electree is currently available for pre-sale — find out more here (Image: Vivien Muller)
2. Plume Plume is Muller's take on a fountain pen. No hiding from its roots here: the metallic sweep of the feather makes a bold statement you just won't get out of your regular ol' tube full of ink. It'd look good just sitting on your desk. (Image: Vivien Muller)
3. Orkys The Orkys loves solar power as much as Muller's Electree, but this time around he's applying the concept to a lamp — and an eye-catching one at that. The solar leaves are designed to be made from flexible panels, and the light-up petals can be rotated to adjust brightness. (Image: Vivien Muller)
4. Aequo Here's another lamp that couldn't be more different than the Orkys. The trick here is that the Aequo is built to balance no matter how you organize its various light-giving panels, so you can raise, lower and rotate them any which way and it won't tip over. (Image: Vivien Muller)
5. Coin Coin Coin Coin is a desk that would make Ikea proud. It breaks down into only two different shapes made of aluminum, and screws together quickly using nuts and bolts. Top it with glass and you've got yourself a table with some serious attitude. (Image: Vivien Muller)
6. Carafe Carafe may just look like your average water bottle, but it's one with a twist: the cap twists off to act like a cup. It's not the first bottle or thermos to have that kind of design, but for Muller it's proof that he can go simple, too. (Image: Vivien Muller)
7. Kiosques These Kiosques are Muller's only designs to see the light of real-world production (his Elecrtree, if the pre-sale is successful, will be the second). Unlike the Electree, these kiosks aren't made for the general public. They're clever pod-stands with leaflets that pull down so a store can turtle up when it's closed, and act as shades when it's open. (Image: Vivien Muller)
8. OctoCube Here's that Borg radiator one more time. Despite its complicated appearance, Muller designed it to be easy to build using existing plumbing joints. It won't only heat your place, but it's sure to fire up conversations, too. (Image: Vivien Muller)
