OctoMorph · the Transforming Chair

This project is inspired by the octopus — a creature with no rigid skeleton yet infinite possibilities of form.

An octopus can stretch, curl, expand, wrap, and balance. It behaves like a living collection of curves. I wanted to design a chair that shares this adaptability — a chair that does not stay fixed in one identity.

OctoMorph is not just a piece of furniture.

It is a posture.

It is a mood.

It is a small architectural organism.

Transformations

By adjusting angles, the chair can become:

1. A lounge chair
2. A reading seat
3. A rocking chair
4. A sculptural installation

Sometimes it behaves like furniture.

Sometimes it behaves like a living form in space.

The user does not simply sit on it —

they participate in shaping it.

I made a 1:20 small model using white cardstock.

After adjustments, I created a more precise 1:10 scale medium-sized model using cardboard (with CAD-printed precise component shapes).

The materials and tools for these models were simple: white cardstock, pencil, scissors, CAD prints, cardboard, thick bamboo sticks, and glue.

I began with freehand studies of octopus tentacle curves, analyzing rhythm, curvature, and tension between opposing forms.

The goal was to give each curve a “character.”

Structural System

The structure consists of two sets of oppositely oriented curved components:

1. Type A (forward curve)
2. Type B (reverse curve)

Each type is replicated 10–15 times.

Every component resembles a “long-tailed tadpole”:

1. A circular head (rotation joint)
2. A tapered tail (structural extension)

All components are fixed at their heads to a circular metal ring.

Each piece can rotate 360° around its joint.

Visually:

1. The center resembles an octopus head
2. The pieces extend outward like tentacles
3. The overall structure feels dynamic and radial

When Type A and Type B are adjusted to unified angles, the chair transforms into different configurations — almost like the octopus shifting its personality.

Using CAD, I precisely constructed:

I created a more precise 1:10 scale medium-sized model using cardboard (with CAD-printed precise component shapes).

1. Type A and B geometries
2. Standardized circular head joints
3. Rotation hole positions
4. Array duplication for structural repetition

Designed the central metal ring

Built rotation joints

Tested array assemblies

Simulated multiple angular configurations

Evaluated structural stability

I also explored material finishes such as:

1. Plywood
2. Natural wood
3. Colored acrylic

I created a white cardstock model to test:

1. Rotational movement
2. Structural logic
3. Visual dynamics
4. Transformational possibilities

The prototype revealed the personality of the object —

elegant, flexible, and slightly mischievous.

Potential final materials include:

1. CNC-cut plywood
2. Colored translucent acrylic panels
3. Circular metal tube core
4. Friction-based or notched locking mechanisms

Under light, especially with colored acrylic,

OctoMorph becomes not just a chair —

but a luminous architectural sculpture.