Collective Paper Aesthetics

Follow Me! is a modular system created for the opening of the Werkräume at Stiftung im Berliner Schloss.
Geometrically, the work is based on an octagonal toroid inspired by the octagonal prism at the base of the museum’s dome, transformed into a toroidal polyhedron composed of 32 quadrilateral faces (8 × 4).
At the same time, the form evokes a doughnut—a playful nod to John F. Kennedy’s legendary “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.
The model is available in two sizes and can be customized through print.
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This week, we are revisiting some of the studio’s lesser-known modular design projects.

Featured here is Paper Batik, a project originally designed and developed for the Kota Tua Creative Festival 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The festival formed the second phase of The Future of Craftsmanship in Architecture, a project curated by with support from the Creatieve Industrie.

Paper Batik explores how traditional craft can inform contemporary design. Drawing inspiration from Indonesian batik patterns and geometric principles found in Islamic design traditions, the project transformed these influences into a foldable cardboard system that served as both a playful installation and a centerpiece for public engagement.

The workshops and production in Jakarta were realized in collaboration with (Dus Duk Duk) and (Lingkaran), demonstrating the value of cross-disciplinary partnerships in bringing ideas from concept to reality.

In 2021, the modular system evolved into a series of individual creative kits developed for Muse Knoxville’s summer experience, MusePop, and the Institute of Imagination’s Big Build project. Each kit enables participants to construct a triangular prism, extending the project’s educational and participatory potential to new audiences.

Projects like Paper Batik remind us that modular systems can be powerful tools for connecting cultural heritage, creativity, and hands-on learning across different contexts and scales.

📷 Photo by Wendy Pratama