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nitinol eyewear
T rethink / reset
* glasses with two appearances
T rethink / reset
• study Project ID HS-PF
interdisciplinary project accessoire design
interdisciplinary project accessoire design
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Glasses with two appearances. One shape for the sun. One for the shade. Concealed and protected. Open and revealed. One reserved. The other communicative. Both expressive and decorative, highlighting the center of human communication: the face, more specifically the eyes. The window to one’s soul.
Glasses have 3 main functions: decorate, protect and improve vision. Today in a time where external self-expression seems to be more and more relevant, the decorative functionality has become the most important feature. Since glasses are situated in the center of our most expressive body part: our face. They have a crucial influence on how we are perceived by others. Glasses change our facial contours and our silhouette resulting in a changed appearance of the individual, similar to a mask. (Sun)glasses therefore, like a mask, cover a majority of our face and prevent eye contact. This can bring across a distanced non communicative attitude. Even though (sun)glasses fulfil the decorative and protective function successfully, once the protective aspect is no longer needed, they are taken off and with that lose all purpose, including their ornamental function. This is where my vision comes into place: I have created glasses which mainly function as permanent facial jewellery and change shape, dependent on the protection needed. Both shapes are ornamental and communicate two different states: One shape for protection, a reserved state. The other to compliment the eyes and thus encourage communication. To accomplish the shapeshifting effect, I experimented with Nitinol. A metal alloy which has either one of two interesting properties: shape memory, super elasticity. The second is the one which conceived my result. Acrylic glass has the function of the nose bridge and the lenses. These parts fit into each other and add up to a complete shape. The Nitinol wire is guided through channels in the acrylic glass components. On the outline it emerges and enters again on the opposite side bringing the wire into tension and creating a round contour, outside the acrylic glass main body. The wire also functions as a rail on which the lenses ride along. Pulling on the lenses results in a change of position of the lenses themselves and a change in the outline the wire creates. The use of Nitinol wire was predetermined for its properties and its delicate light appearance. I chose to use transparent acrylic glass to cover up the face as little as possible in order to emphasize the face rather than to distract from it.
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Glasses with two appearances. One shape for the sun. One for the shade. Concealed and protected. Open and revealed. One reserved. The other communicative. Both expressive and decorative, highlighting the center of human communication: the face, more specifically the eyes. The window to one’s soul.
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Glasses with two appearances. One shape for the sun. One for the shade. Concealed and protected. Open and revealed. One reserved. The other communicative. Both expressive and decorative, highlighting the center of human communication: the face, more specifically the eyes. The window to one’s soul.
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Glasses have 3 main functions: decorate, protect and improve vision. Today in a time where external self-expression seems to be more and more relevant, the decorative functionality has become the most important feature. Since glasses are situated in the center of our most expressive body part: our face. They have a crucial influence on how we are perceived by others. Glasses change our facial contours and our silhouette resulting in a changed appearance of the individual, similar to a mask. (Sun)glasses therefore, like a mask, cover a majority of our face and prevent eye contact. This can bring across a distanced non communicative attitude. Even though (sun)glasses fulfil the decorative and protective function successfully, once the protective aspect is no longer needed, they are taken off and with that lose all purpose, including their ornamental function. This is where my vision comes into place: I have created glasses which mainly function as permanent facial jewellery and change shape, dependent on the protection needed. Both shapes are ornamental and communicate two different states: One shape for protection, a reserved state. The other to compliment the eyes and thus encourage communication. To accomplish the shapeshifting effect, I experimented with Nitinol. A metal alloy which has either one of two interesting properties: shape memory, super elasticity. The second is the one which conceived my result. Acrylic glass has the function of the nose bridge and the lenses. These parts fit into each other and add up to a complete shape. The Nitinol wire is guided through channels in the acrylic glass components. On the outline it emerges and enters again on the opposite side bringing the wire into tension and creating a round contour, outside the acrylic glass main body. The wire also functions as a rail on which the lenses ride along. Pulling on the lenses results in a change of position of the lenses themselves and a change in the outline the wire creates. The use of Nitinol wire was predetermined for its properties and its delicate light appearance. I chose to use transparent acrylic glass to cover up the face as little as possible in order to emphasize the face rather than to distract from it.
r
e
s
u
l
t
Glasses with two appearances. One shape for the sun. One for the shade. Concealed and protected. Open and revealed. One reserved. The other communicative. Both expressive and decorative, highlighting the center of human communication: the face, more specifically the eyes. The window to one’s soul.