2025 / 2026
Möbel, Materialforschung

For centuries, corrosion has been regarded as a problem to prevent. From collapsed bridges to seized bicycle parts, engineers have developed countless methods to stop, isolate or suppress it. Corrosion as Connection reverses this perspective by treating corrosion as a construction method rather than a failure. The project explores galvanic corrosion, a reaction that occurs when aluminium and steel come into contact in the presence of moisture. Instead of avoiding this process, it is deliberately activated. A precisely formed aluminium wedge is inserted between a stainless-steel tube and a carbon-steel core. As the aluminium oxidizes, it expands and forms an exceptionally hard aluminium oxide layer, permanently locking the components together without welding, screws or adhesives. The resulting outdoor bench is delivered as a flat-pack object whose final assembly is completed by the environment itself. Moisture, oxygen and time become active participants in the manufacturing process. By transforming an unwanted chemical reaction into a reliable joining technique, the project questions conventional ideas of durability, failure and material behaviour, proposing corrosion not as something to fight against, but as a material intelligence that can be designed with.