With the intention of transforming the traditional bureau desk, designer Joseph Walsh, based in Cork, Ireland, and the team at O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects have collaborated to produce Falling Dansu. The wall-mounted bureau desk casts off its cumbersome legs and transforms into a mysterious, L-shaped sculpture that hangs on the wall. Although Walsh is mostly known for his furniture designs that feature twisting and curved fingers of wood, he explores a more orthogonal form with the desk. Instead of presenting larger strokes of grace and style, he lets detail dictate the genius of the piece. The desk’s table surface folds down to offer itself as a writing support and to reveal a variety of shelves and filing spaces, each one mobile and able to slide into a convenient position for the individual user. Though the form of the desk may seem boxy at first, the meticulous attention given to craftsmanship softens the piece’s appearance and grants it a character of refined austerity.
photos © Andrew Bradley
