‘Arnardo’ collection by Paddy Pike features futuristic furniture crafted in polished steel

Renowned for his avant-garde technique, Ron Arad constantly questions accepted design conventions and pushes the boundaries of form and material to produce distinctive designs that capture the interest of viewers. His extensive portfolio of work includes sculpture, installations, furniture designs, and architecture, each design bearing his distinctive touch characterised by fluid lines, bold shapes, and a sense of whimsy. With a career spanning decades, Arad's influence on the design world is profound. Inspired by Arad’s work of futuristic forms, furniture designer Paddy Pike has crafted his contemporary furniture collection Arnardo which comprises polished steel furniture created through a meticulous process of advanced technology and historical design references. Commenting on the inspiration behind the collection, Pike relays “Inspired by Ron Arad’s work of futuristic forms, the Arnardo Collection seamlessly merges bold proportions with elegant curves. Ron Arad, a pioneer in the field of furniture design, used technology to create designs that would shock the industry with their complex forms. I took a similar approach but with the technology available today, such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence.”

Having completed his studies in Mechanical Engineering at Edinburgh University, Pike infuses his artistic forms with an intellectual dimension. The product designer is constantly searching for new technologies that can improve production and design processes. Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are two technologies that Pike likes to experiment with, and he has purposefully included them to support the design of Arnardo.

Pike typically begins his design approach with pen and paper, where striking poses and conceptual flows are sketched out. Once satisfied with the initial sketches, he captures an image and imports it into ‘Gravity Sketch’, a virtual reality 3D modelling software here, immersed in the digital realm, Pike meticulously shapes the design. Once the 3D model is complete, Paddy uses an AI model that has been specially trained to adjust textures and finishes so that it matches individual tastes. The resulting combination of the AI-enhanced photos and the 3D model functions as the blueprint for the workshop, allowing trained craftsmen to translate the idea into tangible product design.

Pike further elaborated, “As I continue to explore the intersection of technology and design, I am always refining my process and discovering new ways to create things. Plans for the studio include expanding the Arnardo collection to encompass not only furniture but also innovative objects that seamlessly integrate into interior architecture. I want people to feel inspired to use technology to create things they find beautiful. I plan on making things I engage with, hoping others will follow suit.” Arad's innovative spirit lives on in Pike's Arnardo Collection, which combines futuristic design, cutting-edge technology, historical allusions, and an unwavering quest for artistic expression. Pike has created a line of furniture that not only honours Arad's creativity but also ventures into uncharted territory for contemporary design. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and virtual reality, Pike has embraced the future while remaining rooted in the timeless principles of form and function.