TENS
The diploma project in collaboration with KRALL+ROTH, investigates the potential of self-supporting textiles beyond their conventional areas of application. The result is the prototype TENS.
TENS is a revolutionary prototype of a worktable that deliberately moves away from traditional panel constructions and instead uses the tensile strength of SHRINX textiles as a structural element. As the first prototype of a modular system for flexible, digital work environments, TENS is designed for light to medium loads—ideal for shared workspaces, stationary desk setups, libraries, presentations, and creative or educational spaces, including the home office.
SHRINX is a patented textile system originally developed to simplify upholstery without the use of foam. When heated, it shrinks, stiffens, and can thus be used as a self-tensioning, load-bearing surface.
The table consists of a lightweight aluminium frame into which two identical subframes are inserted and clad with SHRINX. A central aluminium console connects the two into a continuous surface. The rounded outer profiles ensure comfort and a pleasant tactile experience, even when leaning on the table for extended periods. Despite its bold and graphic design language, the slightly translucent and air-permeable textile lends the table a surprising lightness.
The frame components are connected via a plug-in system and fixed in place by the heat-activated SHRINX textile. It stiffens itself and thus also serves a structural function. The table is made entirely from separable, recyclable materials—anodised aluminium, SHRINX (soon to be 100% polyester), steel screws, and a few plastic parts—adhering to circular design principles and completely avoiding composite boards. Together with Krall+Roth, further development of a textile explicitly intended for use as a surface is being pursued. There is still considerable potential to refine its base tension, tactile quality, and appearance.
As a design study, TENS questions the overengineering of work and storage surfaces in the digital age: why build for extreme loads when they are rarely needed in everyday use? The project seeks functional, repairable, and resource-conscious alternatives—a contribution to a more thoughtful, forward-looking design culture.
Facts
STEVEN DAHLINGER – DIPLOMA
2025
TENS is the result of a collaboration with textile manufacturer Krall+Roth, exploring new uses for the self-supporting textile SHRINX. This prototype worktable replaces traditional panels with the tensile strength of the material, testing the limits of what textile tension alone can achieve.
The fabric is stretched over a lightweight aluminum frame and fixed in place through a controlled, heat-induced shrinking process. The result is a smooth, stable, and self-supporting surface—without the need for solid boards.
Designed for light to medium use, TENS is ideal for flexible work environments such as hot-desking, meetings, libraries, or home offices. All components are made from pure materials, fully repairable, and recyclable—offering a circular, lightweight alternative to conventional, overbuilt furniture.
By rethinking the role of surface materials, TENS challenges common assumptions about stability and explores self-supporting textiles as a more resource-efficient way to design the spaces where we work and store.
