Connections - About the Power of a Timeless Design that Creates Connections

When designing static systems with individual steel rods connected to each other in nodes, two parameters must be harmonized: First, the poles must have an optimal cross-section and be dimensioned, that the reduction in compressive forces caused by overly slender profiles is taken into account. Second, the connections must function so that the forces from the rods at the node are transferred to other rods without restriction. The elements at the nodes, such as screws, threads, or hooks, must also be optimally dimensioned.

Since 1981, with our System 180©, we have had the opportunity to iteratively perfect new combinations for furniture construction, interior design, and technical structures, all while making a living. The basic elements were always steel tubes with flattened ends and a hole in the center. In 1989, a new configuration featuring tubes with a 28 mm diameter was designed for the exhibition stand of the design agency ›Berliner Zimmer‹ at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne, and a patent was registered before construction. The stand was purchased by the von Mannstein advertising agency in Solingen. The local building inspectorate required individual case approval. During tests at the Institute for Steel Construction at the Technical University of Braunschweig, the design was approved, with suggestions to optimize the node for higher continuous forces.

The solution found was four troughs in the flattening, which engage in corresponding troughs in the neighboring elements that make a node. In addition to the higher force transmission, the studs also ensure the alignment of the tubes that converge in a node.

For furniture, the ideal tube diameter was determined to be 20 mm, wall thickness of 1 mm. In 1991, the company System 180 GmbH was founded, and employees have since used this modular system to create furniture, domes, staircases, and buildings. Andreas Stadler and Dirk Uptmoor—long-standing designers— still remain part of the team.