In Tension Connection, the up-and-coming Danish designer taps into the innate tension wood holds. The wondrously modular and functional joints-based interior piece poetically conveys Thun’s imaginative instincts as well as his infatuation with mono-materiality.
Just like the first cry out of the womb is all about hunger and transition, a designer’s first steps reveal the intricacies that make up their artistic posture in perhaps the most raw ways. That first creation simultaneously stems from courage and marks ripe clarity. Tension Connection, Johan Karrebæk Thun’s debut design concept, demonstrates his astute ability to decipher both a material’s emotional and tangible skeleton.
Building on millennia of craftsmanship, the outstandingly modular and functional joints-based minimalist interior piece illustrates innovative ways of using wood as a mono-material.
At its core, Tension Connection utilizes the tension innately present in wood as a material. – © Johan Karrebæk Thun
Unsurprisingly, there is no way to trace when exactly Thun’s mood board for Tension Connection began slowly but surely shaping itself. Being raised outside of Copenhagen close to a forest park triggered his “appreciation for the balance between natural and built environments.” Thun feels growing up in such an open-hearted environment helped him “become more aware of my physical surroundings, which naturally led me into the world of design. Moving between small-scale details and broader industrial, social, and geographical contexts formed the foundation and inspiration for my work in design.”
The designer blends ancient woodworking techniques with the flexible properties of wood to create strong, durable joints. – © Johan Karrebæk Thun
Years later, the Design Academy Eindhoven graduate found himself falling down a rabbit hole of contemporary wood design and architecture. Then inspiration struck–“I remember visiting an 825-year-old Stave Church in Norway. It was built without screws or glue which sparked my fascination with traditional joinery. This curiosity led me to explore Japanese wood joints, ingenious techniques that achieve strength and precision solely through interlocking forms.”
The Danish designer’s debut design concept demonstrates new ways of using wood as a mono-material. – © Johan Karrebæk Thun
Utilizing and understanding wood joineries can be traced back to Egyptian artisans in 3000 BC. Captivated by the elegance and straightforwardness of joints and the tension already very much present in wood, in Tension Connection, Thun combines ancient woodworking techniques and Japanese wood joints with new technology, specifically a CNC router, in this way crafting a brand-new wood joint language.
“Every element interacts, relying solely on tension and gravity as structural forces.” – Johan Karrebæk Thun – © Johan Karrebæk Thun
Using drilling technology, Thun unlocked the potential of working with precise gaps in wood. The interplay between negative space, created by radius drilling, and positive space, formed by round sticks, marked a moment of crystallization. The approach not only defined a distinct shape language but also established a functional wood connection–“In of itself it feels light, fragile and honest, whereas the tension in the wooden beams gives it this dynamic and energetic presence. Every element interacts, relying solely on tension and gravity as structural forces.”
As a system, Tension Connection allows you to create endless bespoke compositions of varying scales, from small to large. – © Johan Karrebæk Thun
In more ways than one, Tension Connection is Thun’s love letter to the many enticing layers wood encapsulates as a material–its natural flexibility especially. Visually and up-close, the connection points house the tension of the construction, and as the designer enchantingly describes, “When you put the stick into the beam, the gap in the beam opens up like a flower and suddenly the stringent squared wood profile transforms into a more organic shape. I find it beautiful that the material is expressing its natural properties in the connection points.”
The young designer finds himself on the cusp of building a body of work of daring material formulas, objects, and installations. – © Johan Karrebæk Thun
Exempt from fasteners and external adhesives, Tension Connection is a system that allows for easy assembly, disassembly, and transportation: “Everything can be done with your bare hands by simply interlocking the stick and the beam and placing the shelf planks on top, using gravity to secure them.” When it comes to its modularity, one can create endless bespoke compositions of varying scales, from small to large. Flatpack transportation further optimizes the concept’s shipping efficiency. With its pared-back visual identity, Tension Connection also stands out as a highly adaptable piece that can enliven spaces and environments of varying kinds–one that can be drenched in objects of affection.
A highly adaptable and functional piece that can enliven spaces and environments of varying kinds. – © Johan Karrebæk Thun
Thun believes that through mono-materiality, which is about embracing simplification, “you can both better connect and understand the objects you surround yourself with. In this way, you are not distancing yourself away from nature but instead connecting with it in meaningful ways through physical constructs.”
Identifying himself as a generalist, Thun is enthusiastic about continuing to research and piece together daring material formulas, objects, and installations. As Tension Connection imparts, the young designer is on the cusp of building a body of work that prompts a more profound dialogue between us and our surroundings.
