The Vase Shelves project by Covo is a modular shelving system that is constructed of beech wood planes and vase shaped lathed wood elements that serve as connectors between one plane to another and give the object its unique look and constructional qualities.
The vase shaped elements replace all of the constructional components that usually make up an archetypical shelf, because due its typical form it can naturally perform the functions of the vertical and diagonal supports. In addition, on a more emotional level, the vase shape makes sense as a shape on a shelf, because we are used to seeing vases on shelves in homes all over the world.
The project drifts between the worlds of function and non function, engineering and decoration, art and design. From the one hand the shelves are seemingly performing their function even when no objects are placed on them, because the vase shapes create the illusion of objects that are already placed on the shelves, and so it is a shelf-sculpture that is beautiful by its own being. But on the other hand the shelves remains a practical shelving unit ready for use. The user can play and determine the amount of shelve/sculpture he would like the object to have by adding or removing vases (each shelf can have as little as 4 vases and as many as fit in the shelf) and so customize and determine the objects functional level.
