The new invention by IKEA research lab SPACE10 is a foldable, recyclable and very light sofa designed to be transported like a giant envelope. But that’s not all, created in collaboration with Panter&Tourron, this sofa aims to become a light, sustainable and comfortable alternative by challenging the archetypes of design with Artificial Intelligence. Forget the bulky and adamant sofas we are used to and think of a new model that is easy to transport and modular. Part of the Design in the Age of AI exhibition in Copenhagen until November this year, the so-called ‘couch in an envelope’ makes us reflect on the more conventional limits of furnishing accessories such as the sofa as we know it and live in our homes.

According to the vision of IKEA research lab SPACE10 there will no longer be a need to disassemble the sofa with screws and tools, but it will be possible to assemble and disassemble it easily. This is how Panter&Tourron, the Swiss design studio that works on the border between design and technology, imagined it.

But what does AI have to do with this project? Through platforms such as Runway and Midjourney, designers have inserted prompts such as ‘a sofa designed for a nomadic life’. After several attempts, the result is the ‘couch in an envelope’ designed for IKEA; easy to assemble, disassemble and transport, for a more sustainable and always on the move future.

Secondo la visione di IKEA research lab SPACE10 non ci sarà più bisogno di smontare il divano con viti e attrezzi, ma sarà possibile montarlo e smontarlo facilmente. Lo ha immaginato così Panter&Tourron, lo studio svizzero di designer che lavora al confine fra design e tecnologia.

Ma cosa c’entra l’AI in questo progetto? Attraverso piattaforme quali Runway e Midjourney i designer hanno inserito prompt come ‘un divano disegnato per una vita da nomadi’. Dopo svariati tentativi, il risultato è il ‘couch in an envelope’ progettato per IKEA; facile da assemblare, smontare e trasportare, per un futuro più sostenibile e sempre in movimento.