You’ve got to hand it to Ahrend. It’s not every day a manufacturer will back such an ostentatious design as Yuya Ushida‘s XXXX_Sofa. It’s based on the same principle as the designer’s handmade Sofa XXXX, created with 8,000 sticks in four different lengths. With the help of friends, that original piece of seating was assembled in one month with 2,000 rings and 4,000 joints and presented at the Designers Fair during IMM Cologne in January. Ahrend’s updated version will be industrially produced in plastic.

The expandable composition was inspired by an icon of architecture. “I see the beauty in the simple geometrical structure of the Eiffel Tower. Its repetition always fascinates me,” says Ushida. “I wanted to translate it into furniture.”

Born in Nagoya, Japan, Ushida graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2010. He was initially drawn to design by way of mechanical engineering. “Even before graduating I realized that I was more interested in making practical things that can contribute to the daily life of people, rather than just machine parts, and therefore I decided to turn to the world of industrial design,” he says. “A designer doesn’t only take care of aesthetics, but also understands the materials, techniques and usability aspects of the product, and creates products that make people happy.” There’s no doubt his accordian-like sofa will bring a smile to many a design lover’s face this April.

Ahrend presents XXXX_Sofa as well as a stool version at Ventura Lambrate from April 12 to 17.

This article has been updated since originally published.