As Miscellaneous 1

A continuation of the Cairo Tiling 'as' theme, with upon having distinct, dedicated sections for extensive architecture, flooring, paving, wall tiles and fibre arts applications, I now turn my attention to what I term as miscellaneous entries. As the title implies, this is a non-dedicated section of a wide range of such miscellaneous entries few in number that do not justify a distinct section (as meritorious some of the entries may be). As such, I differentiate these into two categories, 'major' and 'minor', as Miscellaneous 1 and Miscellaneous 2. Miscellaneous 1 consists of entries that have 3 or more from a single entry, whilst Miscellaneous 2 is of two or fewer. The criteria is somewhat arbitrary, with the cut-off point judged to result in roughly equal length pages. This is for the sake of a more digestible page. Previously, at least of the last incarnation, the entries of Miscellaneous 1 and Miscellaneous 2 were of a single long extensive page, which with ad hoc additions had become a little disjoint and unwieldy. This separation into distinct entities thus results in a more orderly arrangement and page. by  the very nature this study is in a permanent state of flux, as I find time to research, add to the page and on occasion add sightings sent to me by correspondents.The entries are ordered as by the frequency of instances, with the more numerous first. 

A miscellaneous, largely ‘for fun’ collection of various non in situ Cairo tiling aspects, in which the Cairo tiling is to be seen in a variety of objects and applications. The format for each entry is an initial outline, a picture and discussions, ending with links. On occasion, I am unable to show pictures as the image holder did not respond to the request for permissions, and where this arises, I thus instead give a link.

Does anyone know of other instances? Do let me know for inclusion.

Inventory

Paper Arts. Origami/Paperfolding.
Ron Resch, John Szinger, David Mitchell, Christiane Bettens, aka Mélisande, Arseniy K, Rob Foord, Eric Gjerde, Carlos Natan López Nazario (8)

Tables

Ceiling Panels. Davos Centre, Switzerland; Ghemlamco Arena, Belgium, and Tamara Restaurant, Cairo (3)

Wall Art. Pier Paolo Spinazzè, Italy, Joseph Warren, UK, 'Litton Lane', US (3)

Bookcase/Shelving. Alfredo Häberli, Alix Welter, Alexander Pincus, US (3)

Jalis. Simon Ray, Quickr, Metropolitan Museum of Art (3)

Crossword Puzzles. In The Listener, by 'Croton' (2)

Chairs (2)

Paper Arts (8) - Introduction

A collection of what I term ‘paper art matters’, with instances of origami and related paper studies. 

As such, I am a little hamstrung in my investigations into origami (and others here), as I am effectively an outsider to the field. I have only made the occasional foray (grandiosely stated) into Origami, albeit there is indeed, in more recent times, decided tessellation interest here, with dedicated books on the theme, such as Origami Tessellations: Awe-Inspiring Geometric Designs by Eric Gjerde. However, likely this situation will continue for the foreseeable future, if not for evermore; I have more than enough to be getting on with my ‘normal’ studies, without starting on new fronts! Like most subjects, there is more to this than appears at first sight, with different papers, such as Kami and Tant (there appear to be hundreds!) and different types, such as modular, action, Kirigami, to name but a few, and numerous folds too. And likely other aspects too that I have not yet encountered. Therefore, all this should be borne in mind with my analysis.

There are many sites and pages on origami, of varying degrees of usefulness to me. For research on specific people, Gilad Aharoni’s origami page was particularly useful. Notable among the pages is a searchable database of over 3,000 origami books, magazines and other publications, covering over 50,000 designs (about a quarter of them with pictures!). However, although good, this is somewhat limited in that the references are not made readily available as documents. In a general sense, David Lister’s 115 essays are very interesting.

https://www.giladorigami.com/origami-database.html
https://britishorigami.info/academic/lister/index.php

Paper Arts 1/8, Origami, Ron Resch 

Ron Resch (1939–2009) was a renowned artist, computer scientist, and applied geometrist, known for his work involving folding paper, origami tessellations and 3D polyhedra. He famously designed the ‘Vegreville egg’, the first physical structure designed entirely with computer-aided geometric modelling software. Among his folding paper creations was a Cairo tiling, of a ‘folded mosaic’ titled ‘Bar-Bell Yellow’, possibly of 1963. 

For this, and other paper foldings of his, see:
http://www.ronresch.org/ronresch/gallery/extreme-paper/

The origamist Mitya Miller, an enthusiast of Resch’s work, and who has helped restored his site, has also folded many examples in the Cairo tiling style, see:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mityamiller/page2

Paper Arts 2/8, Origami, by John Szinger

This instance, of 2009, is by John Szinger, of the US, an authority on origami, with books to his name, notably Animal Origami Sculpture. 

Paper Arts 3/8, Origami, by David Mitchell
David Mitchell, who lives in Cumbria, UK (and is not either the novelist or the comedian of the same name!), has made a feature of incorporating the Cairo tiling in his paperfolding design work. In particular, see the dedicated piece on the Cairo tiling on his website ‘Origami Heaven’.

Further, he has various books and articles on origami to his name, starting with Mathematical Origami, of 1997, and Sticky Note Origami, of 2005 (above)
http://www.origamiheaven.com/pdfs/cairotile.pdf
http://www.origamiheaven.com/tiles.htm

Paper Arts 4/8, Origami, by Christiane Bettens, aka Mélisande
An instance of origami, although not obvious from the title alone, ‘Cordovan pentagon quilt (opus XLV)’ by Christiane Bettens, aka Mélisande, an origamist. The quilt aspect in the title here is a little confusing, as it is not a quilt at all (despite the initial impression of a quilt-like interior decoration), at least in the conventional sense! However, there is indeed a relation. There is a relatively recent branch of origami titled ‘origami quilts’, from which this is where the title is taken. In short, folded origami units are combined to form a ‘quilt’. Quite how best to assess, or interpret this instance is unclear: is it origami, a quilt or a combination? I have decided to discuss under both. Here I place under origami.

Mélisande is aware of the Cairo tiling and directly refers to it as such, albeit briefly:
Cordovan pentagon quilt (opus XLV)
Inspired by Oschene's Cairo pentagonal knot.
Angles of these pentagons are 135° 90° 112,5° 112,5° 90°, same as figure 3 on this page. So the cordovan is considered a subspecies of the cairo tiling.
(Actually I found the reference after creating the unit myself)
71 pieces

‘Oschene’ is her friend, Philip Chapman-Bell. From her comments, the Cordovan attribution appears to have been applied retrospectively. This is the only instance in her origami/quilt work.

I did not contact Mélisande.

Background Details
Christiane Bettens/Mélisande is prominent on Flickr, and has an extensive blog, ‘The Chronicle of Mélisande’, both under Mélisande (the explanation of the nom de plume is not given), albeit, and curiously, without any mention of her real name (and which initially hindered research)! She first became interested in origami in 2003 and has a tessellation interest. She comes from a family with a paper tradition, editing, printing, selling paper, but she did another choice for a profession, a primary care physician.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/melisande-origami/7328846506 (Cordovan pentagon quilt (opus XLV))
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melisande-origami/albums/72157631972891733 (Cordovan quilts)
https://origamiusa.org/thefold/article/origami-designers-secrets-christiane-bettens-m%C3%A9lisande (Interview)
http://origami-art.org/blog/index.php?post/2008/01/01/3-about (About) 

Paper Arts 5/8, Origami, by Eric Gjerde
An instance of origami, by Eric Gjerde (1978–), of Minneapolis, USA, who describes himself as an ‘independent paper artist and author of origami books’. Gjerde has an international reputation in the field, with a special interest in origami tessellations.

Gjedre relates the inspiration of his Cairo tiling instance on his Flickr page of 2011:
Cairo Tessellation
After some research into Islamic art and the geometries used therein, I found some interesting relationships and thought I should apply them to some old patterns I had kicking around in my notebook.
This was a pattern I saw in a book of zillij at Ramin Razani's house in Florence a few years ago, and I've had it sketched out in the back of my little origami notebook ever since.
Folded with double pleats, as the pentagonal geometry did not lend itself kindly to single pleat construction.

As an aside, it would be interesting to know about this book. I contacted Razini (also of paper interest), but he didn't respond. As to this instance, the pictures show front and reverse, which are different. As an outsider to origami, I am not qualified to assess the intricacies here. 

Gjerde also shows another instance, of 2012:
A CP (creasing pattern?) for the hinged Cairo Tessellation. Created to fit easily into a square grid, using traditional Islamic architectural reckoning for approximating angle relationships.
As mention is made of the Cairo tiling on the pages, Gjerde is obviously aware of the background. Indeed, he seems to have a long-standing interest, referring to Cairo tiling in a 2006 post on Flickr (although with an incorrect attribution as to the type of pentagon, albeit with good intention, from a flawed reference on MathWorld, Wolfram, which incidentally is still there of this writing (2019)! One would expect better from them! Somewhat alarmingly, in this Flickr post Gjerde was somewhat slapdash in his reply to a correspondent, with:
It's the dual tessellation of the 3.4.3.3.4 (or whatever the order is) tessellation- squares and triangles together.
It should be 3. 3. 4. 3. 4. One can only conclude that Gjerde’s interest in maths per se is slight.
Two other posts, as discussed above, are dated 2011 and 2012.

I contacted Gjerde in 2011, but he did not respond.

Artist Background
Gjerde started folding origami in late 2004, looking to return to a childhood pastime and to engage his mind in more creative activities. Folding geometric patterns led from one thing to another, and he ended up exploring origami tessellations – a niche of origami folding that a few had explored previously but which was woefully under-represented in origami resources in print and online. In 2005 he began sharing his folding discoveries (or re-discoveries, in so many cases!) on Flickr.com, a photo-sharing platform. This slowly attracted like-minded people who were also exploring this style of folding, and began a very exciting and productive time of folding when many people got into the fun of folding tessellations. This led to a book deal; in 2008, he published Origami Tessellations: Awe-Inspiring Geometric Designs with AK Peters, Ltd. It was the first book on origami tessellations and covers many of the basics for how to fold the intricate, beautiful patterns that he and others were exploring online. He and his partner, the artist and papermaker Ioana Stoian, live and work between Minneapolis and London.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/origomi/5936872781/in/photostream/ (Cairo tiling pictures, with commentary, 2011) https://www.ericgjerde.com/about/ (About)
https://www.origamitessellations.com/books/(On himself and his books)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/origomi/7374763636/ (Hinged Cairo tiling, 2012)
https://www.ericgjerde.com/portfolio/cairo-tessellation/ (Without comment beyond the title)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/origomi/103452651 (Variation of two pentagonal tiles, on isometric paper, 2006)

Paper Arts 6/8, Origami, by Carlos Natan López Nazario
An instance of origami, by Carlos Natan López Nazario, of Mexico, who describes himself on his Instagram page as an ‘origami artist’, whilst on Flickr, he states ‘I love origami and maths’. He appears in Ghilad’s origami database, albeit only once, and so has a reputation in the field of sorts. He titles this instance simply as ‘Cairo Tessellation’, folded in 2010, with no other details. The work is accompanied (in the photostream) by the crease pattern. Possibly the pattern is taken from Origami³ by Thomas Hull; see link below. However, many underlying matters of this, and of Nazario himself, are not known. His Flickr and Instagram, and website, give only minimal detail. Such sparse details though, are typical throughout his various pages; he evidently prefers to let the work speak for itself. 

As mention is made of the Cairo tiling on the pages, Nazario is obviously aware of the background, although nothing more on this is stated.

I did not contact Nazario.

Artist Background As alluded to above, little is known about Nazario. His website’s welcome page merely states: Since 2003 I have been folding paper, for me, origami is a form of expression, I just want to bring to reality the geometric patterns that live in my head, in this page you can find pictures of my designs, and some random ideas on my blog.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/origamiz/5942757897/ (The main picture; another picture of the crease pattern can be seen in the photostream) https://www.flickr.com/photos/origamiz/4671970203 (A link to Origami³ by Thomas Hull; it is unclear if this is the source)

Paper Arts 7/8, Origami, by 'Arseniy K'
An instance of origami, simply titled ‘Cairo Tile’, of 2019?, by ‘Arseniy K’ (or Ko, or Koom, he seems to have a variety of name variations), who describes himself as a ‘Paper Alchemist & Origami Designer’. As with his name, much is unclear as to the background here. Seemingly little is known of the artist, save that he appears to be Russian. He is prominent on Flickr and Instagram but does not appear to have a website. His ‘About’ page on Flickr merely gives a link to his Instagram page! His work appears to be strictly ‘mathematical origami’, with a variety of tilings; I did not find any animals, as is often seen in origami. All that accompanies the work, on Flickr, is:
I kind of managed to recreate the Cairo tiling, which is type 4 pentagonal tiling, wiki gives more detail on that. And that's one of my few works that has only two-way symmtery [sic].

An open question is to how difficult it is to fold a Cairo tiling. And following on, are there different ways?
Ko is aware of the Cairo tiling and directly refers to it as such, as above.

I did not contact him.

Background
As alluded to above, there is nothing more to say; all that is known is as given above!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arseniyko/47747795371/in/faves-32618149@N00/

Paper Arts 8/8, Origami, by Rob Foord
An instance of origami, by Rob (or Robert) Foord, of Gloucestershire (at least of 2005), United Kingdom, an origamist of an international reputation in the field. However, much detail as to Foord and this instance of the Cairo tiling is unclear. I have a reliable account of this appearing in the magazine ‘British Origami Society’ (BOS) 315, April 2019, p. 10. As such, this can be considered as one of the more important instances of origami, as it has appeared in a publication. However, I have not been able to find a picture, and I lack the time and will to join the society to access this publication. Little details on Foord himself are known. His BOS entry merely gives:
Rob has been creating designs for many years and his style has obviously changed. He currently works primarily with geometric designs, but this [non-Cairo tiling] is an early creation from the 90s.

I have not found other details of Foord than that given above. He does appear to have a social media  presence on Facebook and Twitter.

As mention is made of the Cairo tiling on the reference, the use of the Cairo tiling must have been purposeful. Among his creations (the BOS database gives 25), are other mathematical instances, and so it appears that Foord has a mathematical interest, albeit to what extent is unclear.

I did not contact Foord, notwithstanding that his contact details seem unavailable!

Background
As alluded to above, all the detail I have is discussed above, and so there is nothing more to add!

https://www.britishorigami.info/society/british-creators/rob-foord/
https://www.giladorigami.com/origami-database/cairo%20tiling

COFFEE TABLES (5)

Modular Coffee Tables

Although it may be thought unnecessary to define a coffee table, upon seeing how there exist much more table types than I first thought, of which homestratosphere.com lists an impressive 20(!), I now explicitly state its characteristics:

Wikipedia
A coffee table is a style of low table which is designed to be placed in front of (or next to) a sofa or upholstered chairs for convenient support of beverages (hence the name), remote controls, magazines, books (especially large, illustrated coffee table books), decorative objects, and other small items to be used while sitting, such as beverage coasters. In some situations, such as during a party, plates of food may be placed on the table.

Coffee tables are usually found in the living room or sitting room. They are available in many different variations and prices vary from style to style. Coffee tables may also incorporate cabinets or drawers for storage. The most common construction of coffee tables is out of wood (though faux wood tables are increasingly common); metal, glass, and leather coffee tables are also popular. Typically, stainless steel or aluminum are used for metal coffee tables. The idiom "Gather round the coffee table" is derived from the furniture piece and its proclivity for encouraging conviviality and light conversation. Coffee tables were thought to initially be constructed in Renaissance England.

Coffee table, by  Francesco Caracciolo di Marano and Sam Robin, founders of the Robicara company, US, 1/5
Francesco Caracciolo di Marano and Sam Robin, with their company Robicara, of Miami, Florida, US, a luxury, high-end furniture business from 1997, has an unusual instance of a coffee table top, of individual elements based on the Cairo tiling, and of which can thus be assembled as a Cairo tiling, or of a looser arrangement if so desired. 

http://robicara.com/galleries/pentagon-coffee-table/

Modular Coffee Table by Frövi, 2/6

An instance of a coffee table, titled ‘Nest’, from Frövi, who describe themselves as ‘a family owned British furniture company with a name inspired by Scandinavian design’. Of note is that, unlike other entries on this Miscellaneous page, this is of a single Cairo pentagon, with the premise of the possibility of a modular arrangement into the Cairo tiling (and other configurations, including a ‘central’ hexagon). 

This is described in their catalogue (seemingly dual with a related seat, below), p. 113, as:

A truly configurable seating option - this geometric design is adaptable to any workspace, allowing creativity with color and shape as it can be nested together to create infinite combinations. It works as individual pieces or in modular layouts to create waiting, working or relaxing environments. Therefore, it lends itself to a host of applications across corporate or hospitality marketplaces.

Note also that Frövi has an accompanying seat, placed as a separate entry. Arguably this could (and should) be combined. However, as other (modular) entries for tables and seats are one-offs, I thus differentiate. Incidentally, despite the company beginning in the UK, from 1976, I was unaware of them before this entry! They have an impressive, searchable website, with catalogues made freely available, and have an extensive social media presence, including all the ‘big five’.

Quite when this was introduced into their range is unclear. However, seeing as this is of the most recent catalogue, likely it is recent, loosely defined, and not old, from the beginning of the company in 1976. As I have found, like other products, each seems to have a natural lifespan before being discontinued upon a production run, in favour of the new.

No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on the site or their social media (or at least as I can establish), and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, as this is not mentioned, they are unaware of this association. 

I did not contact the company, judged that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, of a non-commercial query. 

Background
Frövi is a British furniture company with a name inspired by Scandinavian design and ethos and were formed in 1976. Although designers names are given, it is not clear who began the company, and who effectively runs this of the present day.

As market-leading manufacturers, they only use high-quality materials and invest in cutting-edge technology to create premium designs at their design studio in Oxfordshire and factory in the Cotswolds. Built for commercial environments, each piece of furniture is formulated to be robust, with the premise that every piece will deliver on quality, strength and value.

Acknowledgements
Vincent Pantaloni, for drawing this sighting to my attention in a 4 January 2020 Twitter post by David Swart, which featured the seat, but not the coffee table.

https://frovi.co.uk/product/soft-seating/nest/

Entry 8 January 2020

Modular Coffee Table, 'Penta', by Studio Kees Marcelis, 3/5

An instance of a coffee table, titled ‘Penta’, from Studio Kees Marcelis, of Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands, who describe themselves as ‘is a studio for (interior) architecture and design’. Of note is that, unlike other entries on this Miscellaneous page, this is of a single Cairo pentagon, with the premise of the possibility of a modular arrangement into the Cairo tiling, as indeed is shown (and other configurations not shown, including an ‘open central hexagon’). Somewhat curiously, I could not find even the slightest of references to the table on their website! The tables are marketed on Odesi, a Netherlands interior design company (although again I could not find the tables!). However, it is described in detail on the Woonhome website (loosely describing themselves as ‘... the online platform where you can compare new and second-hand furniture and home accessories’, of a February 1, 2017 posting, with presumably detail supplied by Marcelis: 

The materials steel and porcelain come to strengthen the collection of the furniture and design brand Odesi. These materials are reflected in the new Penta: a coffee table that you can transform into a side table. The five corners are characteristic of the design of the coffee table. Because of this special shape you can combine the tables in countless ways. For example, make one large (or long) coffee table of four parts. Use one table as a special side table next to your armchair or in the corner of the room. The possibilities are endless.

The tabletop is made of porcelain with a beautiful relief. This high-quality type of pottery comes from Italy and is sustainable in nature. The porcelain is resistant to frost, heat, scratches and stains. Special maintenance is not required, making the Penta coffee table very practical.

The base of the coffee table has also received all the attention. This is made of steel and finished with a black lacquer. The round legs give an elegant balance to the design and the pentagonal shape returns as a slide on the floor. In addition, the tabletop is reinforced on the underside and also entirely of steel.

The Penta coffee and side table can be ordered in four colors of porcelain: Biacca, Fog, Dry and Dark. All colors form a nice contrast with the frame and can be nicely combined with each other. This way you create a subtle playfulness in your living room.

Kees Marcelis is the designer of the Penta coffee table. He has been working professionally in the field of architecture, interior design and design for over twenty years. His starting point when designing furniture is to always make something special. The creative freedom he takes for this can be seen in his furniture designs. Watch the video in which Kees Marcelis tells more about the Penta design table.

Studio Kees Marcelis has an impressive, albeit non-searchable website, and a social presence on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn (but curiously not Twitter).

The table has attracted considerable critical acclaim on design sites and was exhibited at the Dutch Design Week in 2016 by Marcelis himself, and he discusses in a video (in Dutch).

No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on their website or their social media (or at least as I can establish), or indeed on exterior sources, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, as this is not mentioned, they are unaware of this association. 

I did not contact the company.

Background (from their LInkedIn page)

Kees Marcelis is an interior designer for more than twenty years. In all these years he has developed a particular, personal style. Award nominations and prizes over the years, such as the Architecture Price Achterhoek 2009, his nomination for the Dutch Design Prize 2005 and the Bathroom Design Award in 2006, succeed in generating interest among the home design media, trade press and newspapers, resulting in numerous articles and interviews. Recently the magazine Esquire mentioned Kees Marcelis in the top twelve of best Dutch interior designers. Kees Marcelis’ interest is not so much in the awards, but rather in the people he designs for. As well as in his designs, he also manages to share his fascination for the designers’ trade as a teacher and in his lectures.

https://keesmarcelis.nl/en/

https://www.archiexpo.com/prod/odesi-dutch-design-online/product-71018-1793236.html

https://www.woonhome.nl/wooninspiratie/design-salontafel-penta-van-staal-italiaans-porselein/

https://youtu.be/Z74KzcZ3hAE (51 seconds, in Dutch)

Entry 9 January 2020

Modular Coffee Table, Dsignio/Beltá & Frajumar, 4/5

An instance of a (lightweight) table, titled ‘Pent Table’, a collaboration of c. 2014, between Spanish concerns Dsignio, an Integral Design Studio and Beltá & Frajumar, a furniture and upholstery manufacturer. Quite how best to attribute the design too is unclear. It appears to be of a broad equal collaboration, albeit with Dsignio leading as to the design, with Beltá & Frajumar then implementing. Further, quite how best to describe this is unclear. It is simply titled ‘table’ by Beltá & Frajumar, without further ado.

However, as it is very much like of a coffee table in appearance, I have thus decided to place under this specific category, albeit with due reservation.

Of note is that this is the second of four Cairo tile themed furniture pieces from Beltá & Frajumar, under the same ‘Pent’ title, with others being another more substantial table, an armchair and a pouffe/ottoman. Each of these is shown as a separate entry. The geometry, albeit not stated, all appears to be the same in all instances.

Of note is that, unlike other entries on this Miscellaneous page, this is of a single Cairo pentagon, with the premise of the possibility of a modular arrangement into the Cairo tiling (and other tiling configurations, including a ‘central’ hexagon). Some of the entries on Beltá & Frajumar are more explicit as to this possibility than others. Here the table is shown in isolation. Hence perhaps this wasn’t intended to be modular but was to complement the range. Whatever, as it is a possibility, I have decided to include here nonetheless for the sake of completeness.

The table is described rather briefly by both Dsignio (generically) and Beltá & Frajumar (generically and specifically):

Dsignio

Pent is the new table that DSIGNIO has designed for Beltà. It is a modular system consisting of a pentagonal piece that can be repeated, creating countless compositions. It is a kind of puzzle to play with, looking for the result that best suits your needs.

Its size has been studied to also be used as a seat, forming dynamic sets that fit different users.

The finish of the pieces in natural ash provides warmth and, due to the morphology of the modules, a type of timeless design is achieved. You can also create more fun compositions using lacquer ware in different colors.

And in an interview with ‘Design Daily’:

We just designed dozens of grids (I love geometry) and we thought that one of them could be a modular table”.

Beltá & Frajumar

Beltá & Frajumar in their catalogue, discuss this in two parts, first, a generic discussion as to the Pent range, and second specific detail, of the furniture, be it table, armchair or pouffe as below:

Pent is a modular system consisting of pentagonal pieces that can be repeated creating countless compositions. It is a puzzle with which to play in order to create the shape that best suits ones needs. The possibilities are endless, including use as an ottoman.

and

2. Table. Frame of steel rods, and oven dried epoxy paint. Solid wood pentagonal top stained to different colours according to the table frame.

The side lengths are incompletely described, with only a 60cm base given, whilst the angles are not given.

Dsignio has a design-led website, but is not searchable, and have a social media presence on Twitter and Facebook. Many more photos can be found on their photo page of the latter. Beltá & Frajumar, befitting their status, has an extensive website, in Spanish, English and French and is searchable, and have an extensive social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Of note is that Dsignio has a decided liking for the Cairo tiling. They have also used it for the Peronda Group, with KIN ceramic wall tiles (see dedicated page), as well as the collaboration with Beltá & Frajumar.

No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on either Dsignio or Beltá & Frajumar  sites. Upon previous correspondence on the KIN ceramic wall tile instance (10 April 2015), in which I mentioned the Cairo connection, Patxi Cotarelo told me:

It was the first time I read about the Cairo tiles, thank you for the information, it was interesting.

From this, they were obviously unaware of the association, it was found by chance, as an instance of aesthetic geometry/design. Almost certainly, with Disgnio leading, Beltá & Frajumar, also has no knowledge of the Cairo tiling.

An open question is to how well this has sold. As such, I have not seen any instances other than in the catalogue. 

Background

DSIGNIO is an Integral Design Studio located in Madrid that executes international projects. It was founded by Alberto Bejerano and Patxi Cotarelo in 2002, both of them Technical Engineers of Industrial Designs and Interior Design Master.

Throughout these years DSIGNIO has received several awards, highlighting three nominations for best design of the year in Spain in the last edition of the Delta awards.

DSIGNIO have designed products for different companies that sell DSIGNIO´s designs in over 60 countries and exhibited them at fairs such as Milan, Paris, Moscow, Singapore and London.

DSIGNIO’s projects are published frequently in the specialized press, in general media and in more than 500 design blogs. They also give lectures and courses at universities in Spain, Japan and Mexico.

Beltá & Frajumar, of Yecla, Murcia, Spain, and founded in 1967, is a furniture and upholstery manufacturer for the hospitality and living sector.

Born from the will of standing up for design and innovation, Beltá & Frajumar has the goal of manufacturing singular and unique objects. Each product that is developed has to keep a harmonious relation with everything it is surrounded by, the places it is used in and the users.

https://designdaily.in/the-very-versatile-pent-table-dsignio/ (includes interview)

https://beltafrajumar.com/en/product/pent-table/ (peripherally referenced)

Entry 13 January 2019

Of note is that this is the first of four Cairo tile themed furniture pieces from Beltá & Frajumar, under the same ‘Pent’ title, with others being another, more lightweight table (what I title as a coffee table), an armchair and a pouffe/ottoman. Each of these is shown as a separate entry. The geometry, albeit not stated, all appears to be the same in all instances.

Of note is that, unlike other entries on this Miscellaneous page, this is of a single Cairo pentagon, with the premise of the possibility of a modular arrangement into the Cairo tiling (and other tiling configurations, including a ‘central’ hexagon). Some of the entries on Beltá & Frajumar are more explicit as to this possibility than others, as here. 

The table is described rather briefly by both Dsignio (generically) and Beltá & Frajumar (generically and specifically):

Dsignio

Pent is the new table that DSIGNIO has designed for Beltà. It is a modular system consisting of a pentagonal piece that can be repeated, creating countless compositions. It is a kind of puzzle to play with, looking for the result that best suits your needs.

Its size has been studied to also be used as a seat, forming dynamic sets that fit different users.

The finish of the pieces in natural ash provides warmth and, due to the morphology of the modules, a type of timeless design is achieved. You can also create more fun compositions using lacquer ware in different colors.

And in an interview with ‘Design Daily’:

We just designed dozens of grids (I love geometry) and we thought that one of them could be a modular table”.

Beltá & Frajumar

Beltá & Frajumar in their catalogue, discuss this in two parts, first, a generic discussion as to the Pent range, and second specific detail, of the furniture, be it table, armchair or pouffe as below:

Pent is a modular system consisting of pentagonal pieces that can be repeated creating countless compositions. It is a puzzle with which to play in order to create the shape that best suits ones needs. The possibilities are endless, including use as an ottoman.

and

1. Table in MDF frame with ash wood veneer with mitre joints in each face.

The side lengths are incompletely described, with only a 60cm base given, whilst the angles are not given.

Dsignio has a design-led website, but is not searchable, and have a social media presence on Twitter and Facebook. Many more photos can be found on their photo page of the latter. Beltá & Frajumar, befitting their status, has an extensive website, in Spanish, English and French and is searchable, and have an extensive social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Of note is that Dsignio has a decided liking for the Cairo tiling. They have also used it for the Peronda Group, with KIN ceramic wall tiles (see dedicated page), as well as the collaboration with Beltá & Frajumar.

No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on either Dsignio or Beltá & Frajumar sites. Upon previous correspondence on the KIN ceramic wall tile instance (10 April 2015), in which I mentioned the Cairo connection, Patxi Cotarelo told me:

It was the first time I read about the Cairo tiles, thank you for the information, it was interesting.

From this, they were obviously unaware of the association, it was found by chance, as an instance of aesthetic geometry/design. Almost certainly, with Disgnio leading, Beltá & Frajumar, also has no knowledge of the Cairo tiling.

An open question is to how well this has sold. As such, I have not seen any instances other than in the catalogue. 

Background

DSIGNIO is an Integral Design Studio located in Madrid that executes international projects. It was founded by Alberto Bejerano and Patxi Cotarelo in 2002, both of them Technical Engineers of Industrial Designs and Interior Design Master.

Throughout these years DSIGNIO has received several awards, highlighting three nominations for best design of the year in Spain in the last edition of the Delta awards.

DSIGNIO have designed products for different companies that sell DSIGNIO´s designs in over 60 countries and exhibited them at fairs such as Milan, Paris, Moscow, Singapore and London.

DSIGNIO’s projects are published frequently in the specialized press, in general media and in more than 500 design blogs. They also give lectures and courses at universities in Spain, Japan and Mexico.

Beltá & Frajumar, of Yecla, Murcia, Spain, and founded in 1967, is a furniture and upholstery manufacturer for the hospitality and living sector.

Born from the will of standing up for design and innovation, Beltá & Frajumar has the goal of manufacturing singular and unique objects. Each product that is developed has to keep a harmonious relation with everything it is surrounded by, the places it is used in and the users.

https://designdaily.in/the-very-versatile-pent-table-dsignio/ (includes interview)

https://www.archiscene.net/design/pent-table-dsignio/

https://beltafrajumar.com/en/product/pent-table/

Entry 10 January 2020

Modular Coffee Table,  'Nexus', by Pont des Arts

An instance of a coffee table, titled ‘Nexus’, from Pont des Arts, Paris, France, who describe themselves as ‘Interior Design & Manufacturer.’ Pont des Arts (translated ‘Bridge of Arts) was founded by the Franco-Lebanese architect and designer Monzer Hammoud. Of note is that, unlike other entries on this table page (and Miscellaneous page), this is of a four-unit combined par hexagon pentagon, with the premise of the possibility of a modular arrangement into the Cairo tiling, as indeed is shown, with an ‘open central hexagon’ (and other configurations not shown). 

The table is one of a range of 79 and is available in a single size, 52 x 43 x H 50cm, price unknown. It is not known when it was introduced into their range, but as the company was formed in 2006, it is thus relatively recent. Details are scant as to the table in their  promotional literature, with ‘Nexus. Coffee Table. Brass & marquetry wood. 52 x 43 x H 50’. Such brief descriptions are not just here, but also apply to their other tables. 

Shown here is a modular possibility, as exemplified by the photos. How successful this has been is unclear; certainly, I have not seen this outside of the company. Of note is that the company also have a related table, titled ‘Nexus 2’, of the same dimensions, of brass and marble, consisting of the par hexagon element, without the interior pentagons being demarked. 

No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on their site and so I thus contacted the company with a 2 November 2017 email to determine the matter (amid other queries). Hammoud told me:

I knew the pavement of Cairo “Cairo pentagonal tiling” … I lived one year in Cairo.

No other detail was forthcoming. From this, albeit limited detail, the idea seems to have arisen from seeing the paving in Cairo.

Pont des Arts have a suitably sized, non-searchable website, and is active on social media to a degree with Pinterest, but not elsewhere. The size of the company is unclear, although it appears to be a single-person concern. Whether Pont des Arts/Hammoud manufacture the furniture themselves is unclear. In this regard, reference is made to ‘highly trained crafts people’, which seems to imply employees, or outsourcing. 

Background (From their ‘About’ page. Little background detail as to the company or Hammoud himself is given). Minor errors in spelling and capitalisation are corrected.

Founded in 2006, Pont des Arts Studio established their STUDIO DESIGN in Paris, to meet the demand for their Interior Design in the luxury furniture sector. Over the years Pont des Arts Studio has built a reputation for producing a very high standards Furniture & Lighting. The success of Pont de Arts is down to a simple philosophy. This new collection presented of jewelry furniture and lighting is a culmination of international references and a desire to offer a dream range of object created from noble materials: gold, brass, silver, nickel and crystal. This unique collection is equally harmonious in a modern or classic interior.

The quality of Pont des Arts objects is the result of two forces thought incompatible: Artisanaly crafted and modern design

ARTISANAL because the object is crafted by hand: for example 3000 crystal beads assembled by experienced and highly trained crafts people.

MODERN because our specialists use state of the art tools, such as laser cutting technology.

Pont des Arts is a fresh brand with beautiful designs.

http://www.pontdesarts.biz/category/furniture/center-table/

Entry History

Original three-line entry (excluding title, link and copyright) 3 November 2017. Revised and greatly expanded on 30 January 2020.

SideTable by Andreas Hopf

An instance of a side table, by Andreas Hopf, an industrial designer, design educator and researcher at Lund University, Sweden. It is titled ‘D1 equilateral pentagon side table’, of 2010, and is one of two other like tables (the others based on Voronoi cells and Chinese lattices); seemingly part of a series with his collaborator in design matters, Axel Nordin. The table is made of CNC bent stainless-steel cells, powder-coated white, bonded with performance adhesive and comes in two forms and sizes, square and rectangular, both with differing numbers of unit cells. Unusually, he has a joint website, with Norden, in English, Swedish and German, of which this a small but sufficient size, but is not searchable, and of which this shows their industrial design products, of table, lights and shelves. Somewhat oddly, the Cairo tables are not to be found here, or in the catalogue! Rather these are  displayed/promoted on Flickr and other design sites. However, there is another oblique Cairo reference, with ‘Elva’, an 11-sided polyhedron (a Bisymmetric Hendecahedron?), the nuances of which need further study; again not on the site, but in the catalogue, p. 48. 

No reference is made to the Cairo reference on the site or catalogues, or indeed elsewhere. The table is discussed elsewhere, notably on Flickr, where it is titled as above. The somewhat obscure ‘D1’ reference is seemingly of a crystallographic classification, using Schoenflies’s notation, of a letter and number. However, upon checking, this does not seem to correlate, and so I am strictly unsure as to the meaning here. In correspondence in 2013 he told me:

… We arrived at the D1 pentagon through an analysis of all isohedral tilings, so the background was purely mathematical interest, because some isohedral tilings are quite suitable for interior architecture projects

However, I failed to establish if the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling. Although I mentioned the Cairo connection, I did not specifically ask if he was aware of it, but simply presumed that he was aware of it, as stated in my email. However, given the lack of specific response, likely he is, or was, unaware of the association. As alluded to above, with lack of detail, the angles and side lengths are not given. Interestingly his associate, Axel Nordin, has also used the Cairo tiling in his own work ’Strategies for consumer control of complex product forms in generative design systems’, again not using the Cairo designature, and again, referring to a D1 pentagon. Likely both are unaware of the association.

Background Details

There is little background detail on Hopf himself. However, he has exhibited widely in western Europe, from 2010, and is now based in Berlin, Germany.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/andreas_hopf/4971529309/

http://www.hopfnordin.se/documents/HopfNordin_en_2016.pdf

http://www.hopfnordin.se

Originally 2013, of three lines, of title, text, link, and four pictures. Revised and greatly expanded entry of 11 November 2019.

JALIS - Introduction

A collection of what are termed as ‘jalis’ or ‘jaali’, a perforated stone or latticed screen, seen generally in Islamic Architecture, and especially in India. Included here are some instances that, although are not strictly of a Cairo tiling, are best described as close relations, and so for the sake of a related, themed ordering, I thus place them here as an entity. As such, I am a little hamstrung in my investigations as to jalis, as I am effectively an outsider to the subject per se. Of course, I have an interest from a tessellation viewpoint, but not particularly the history.

A brief background on jalis. Jalis are usually constructed with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy and geometry. This form of architectural decoration is common in Hindu temple architecture, Indo-Islamic Architecture and more generally in Islamic Architecture. A tentative beginning is mid-sixth century, arguably peaking upon the Mughal Empire, of 1526–1540 and 1555–1857. The jali helps in lowering the temperature by compressing the air through the holes. Also, when the air passes through these openings, its velocity increases, giving profound diffusion. It has been observed that humid areas in Indian cities like Kerala and Konkan have larger holes with overall lower opacity than compared with the dry climate regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan. With the compactness of the residential areas in modern India, jalis became less frequent for privacy and security matters. Early jali work was built by carving into stone, generally in geometric patterns, while later the Mughals used very finely carved plant-based designs, as at the Taj Mahal. They also often added pietra dura inlay to the surrounds, using marble and semi-precious stones.

Jali 1/3, by Simon Ray
An instance of a jali (a perforated screen), albeit very little is known as to the background here, despite a catalogue entry of 2016 from Simon Ray, one of London's leading fine art and Islamic and Indian Art dealers. This is described as ‘India (Mughal) 17th century’, of yellow sandstone, of height 158cm, width 93cm, depth 3.3cm (5 ft 2” x 3 ft x 1¼”)’ followed by generic jali commentary of no direct reference to the jali here. Oddly, and curiously, no mention is made to pentagons in the text, although there is to the subsidiary hexagons, at least indirectly! The jali is interesting in itself as a ‘jali within a jali’, something of which is, so far as I can recall, the only instance known (I here disregard some ‘mini-subsection’ instances, divided into rectangles).

Notably, and regrettably, the provenance is not stated. Naturally, on account of the great age here, of which if so is the earliest extant instance of a Cairo tiling by far by of hundreds of years, predating that next confirmed reference of the early 1900s, and so is thus historically of the utmost significance, I thus attempted to contact Ray. However, this was to no avail. Despite an obvious bona fide query in his field, two emails from myself went unanswered. As detailed above, given the historical aspect, I was loathe to give up on this, and then at my behest two others from interested parties of the Cairo tiling from academia also wrote to him, namely professors Gregg De Young (American University in Cairo) and Chaim Goodman-Strauss (University of Arkansas), stressing their academic credentials, but they still met with no reply! In the midst of this, I then tried other ways. I also contacted his associate Leng Tan, who apparently wrote the captions, but he too did not respond. Another was George Michell, of whom book he quotes in the references, but who also did not reply (although as he was not directly involved with this jali, I do not unduly castigate him here, in contrast to others). Incidentally, I obtained the book, but this jali was not there. I also phoned his office, and although Ray was unavailable, I spoke to one of his assistant who reliably informed me that the details in the catalogue would be true. However,  without any provenance, this still remains far from satisfactorily resolving matters. It really is infuriating! Even if not of a detailed reply, just a few words as to provenance would surely not be asking too much of a genuine enquiry in their field? Perhaps we all are simply too small fry to bother with; from what I can make out, his company turns over millions of pounds a year. But for whatever reason, Ray and his associates choose not to answer. As such, from reading up on Ray’s interest in Islamic Art, of which he is an authority, and given he is head of such a noteworthy company, I will accept the date given as true, albeit with due reservation. 

Open questions abound:
1. How did, and what means, did it get to London? This is a substantial heavy artefact, probably weighing hundreds of pounds!
2. What has become of the jali? Presumably, it has been sold, as it does not appear in later years of his catalogue, up to and including the present day (2019). I have not seen any other references to this jali elsewhere.
3. Who was the designer?

No mention is made of the Cairo tiling on the page, and so whether the Cairo tiling is known to Ray is unknown. However, without any obvious mathematical background or interest, it is unlikely that Ray would be familiar with this association.

Come on Simon, redeem yourself here! All will be forgiven!

References
Simon Ray. Indian & Islamic Works of Art. Self Published, 2016, pp. 178-179.
https://www.simonray.com/catalogue_2016.htm (the entire catalogue)

First seen c. 14 September 2018. Entry 23 December 2019

Jali 2/3, by 'Olx of Quickr'
An instance of a jali (an Indian perforated screen), albeit very little is known about the background here. Since found (September 2018) ostensibly by 'Olx' on the Indian Quickr site (a classified advertising platform), the link is dead, although I recall little detail was given, and what there was is consequential. I contacted the seller, but he did not respond. An open question here is the age. Jalis, as detailed in the introduction, have a long Indian history, and so the possibility here is that this is of a great age, especially so given the appearance, being not new, with many damages and blemishes. At the time, I investigated this as best I could, and determined that this was of a modern-day instance, of this century, although I forget the intricacies here as to how I arrived at this. The price converted to £15 (GBP), and so this low price is thus an indication as to recent age; if indeed ‘old’, it would surely have been seen in a major auction house, for thousands of pounds, as indeed occurs occasionally with ‘century-old’ jalis.

No mention is made of the Cairo tiling on the page, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. However, I would be most surprised if this were designed with the association in mind.
Would anyone care to speculate on all this?
In effect, there is nothing more to add, all the detail I have is as above!

https://www.quikr.com/home-lifestyle/antique-jali+agra+W0QQAdIdZ312091420

Perhaps someone may find this? Likely, upon selling or the duration of the ad, this was then deleted or deactivated. I believe that this was the only picture.

Entry 24 December 2019

Jali 3/3, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
An instance of an ‘early 17th century jali’, although it is not strictly of a Cairo tiling, is included as a ‘near miss’. In short, the jali can be described as of two levels, primarily of a ‘bow tie’ tiling with a secondary subdivided polygonal interior, one line of which divides the bow tie, thus giving a ‘weak’ Cairo tiling. The provenance, for once, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogue entry by the authority, Stuart Cary Welch, is excellent. This is described as:
‘Pierced Window Screen (Jali) early 17th century. Dimensions: H. 48 7/16 in. (123 cm), W. 26 1/2 in. (67.3 cm), D. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm), Wt. 213 lbs. (96.6 kg)’ … Makrana (a type of white) marble quarried near Jaipur, and it can be dated on the basis of identically patterned red sandstone windows in Akbar's tomb at Sikandra’.... It is likely that the Metropolitan Museum jali was made for Jahangir's private apartments in Agra Fort, a section of the palace replaced by order of Shah Jahan. Architectural elements of this quality, satisfying in themselves as sculpture, suggest the character and quality of Mughal buildings. Presumably, this jali was stored in Agra Fort until, after Mughal power had weakened during the second half of the eighteenth century, it was carried away by looters.

No effective mention is made of the intricacies of the two-level tiling on the page, and it appears that the designer was primarily concerned with the bow tie pattern, with the subdivisions of secondary importance. The accompanying Met Museum description gives:
Zigzagging diagonals in the present example set up a powerful waving rhythm that sets spinning the interlocking rosettes and crosses.
Note that such two-level jails are by no means unusual. Of an admittedly cursory search, it is about an even split between one-level and two-level instances. Further, other (two-level) bow tile jalis can also be seen (of this period and subsequently), of which I have detailed on a dedicated page.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453241

Entry 27 December 2019

Bookcase/Shelving 1/3, by Alfredo Häberli
An instance of bookcase/shelving, by Alfredo Häberli (1964–, an internationally established Swiss-Argentinian designer of some note. The bookcase comes in six pentagonal forms, of different sizes, of squares and rectangles, horizontally and vertically, and is made of white anodised aluminium composite material. It is titled, somewhat obscurely, as ‘Patterns’, of 2006, for the new brand at the time ‘Quodes’, a design-driven Dutch furniture company. (Note that Häberli also designed another bookcase, titled ‘Empire’, also by Quodes of the same time, but as this is not pentagonal is just mentioned in passing.) Häberli, a book lover, states:
"The idea of Pattern is to create a non-horizontal shelf. One which help the thin books or magazines to stay in an upright position. By searching a geometrical figure to repeat, I found an irregular pentagon which adding it to each other, creates a Pattern and gives the opportunity of using it for several sizes.
"Meanwhile there is a horizontal surface which allows arranging objects on it. Not having a real back, it can be used as a room divider."

Häberli has a website in English which is searchable, and of which ‘Patterns’ is briefly, albeit of a dedicated nature, discussed, without reference to the Cairo tiling, with only ‘... irregular pentagon’. Further, no reference is made to the Cairo tiling in the (extensive) literature, press and online, with only pentagons mentioned. Therefore, whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. However, given the lack of reference, likely he is unaware of the association. As alluded to above, the angles and side lengths are not given.

The bookcase is discussed extensively in design circles, in exhibitions, print and online:

Exhibitions
It was first exhibited at Milan Design Week, 2006 (the world's most important design fair, which takes place in the Italian city each April).
‘Interieur 2006’ in Kortrijk, Belgium.
‘Museum für Gestaltung’ in Zürich, Switzerland. 

Print
Wallpaper* magazine (a high-profile international magazine focusing on design and architecture, fashion, travel, art, and lifestyle), in 2007, selected Quodes bookcase ‘Pattern’ as best shelving system of the year.

Online
Dezeen (the world's most influential architecture, interiors and design magazine).
Archello (a platform for architects and designers where they share their ideas, projects, and showcase their products).
The bookcase, as of this writing (2019) is still available to buy from Quodes, and is available in most European countries, including the UK. The cost is not known, seemingly available upon request.

I did not contact Häberli, judged that for such a query to such a major international designer, I would likely not receive a reply. It is not entirely clear if his website is overseen directly by himself or by others (but it is likely the latter, which influenced my decision). I also did not contact Quodes.

Designer Background Details
Alfredo Häberli (b. 1964–) is an internationally established designer. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in 1977 moved to Zurich, Switzerland, where he lives. In 1991, Häberli graduated in Industrial Design from the Zurich School of Design, receiving the Diploma Prize. 

Alfredo Häberli has worked for leading design companies including Alias, Camper, Kvadrat, Iittala, Luceplan, Moroso, Volvo and Zanotta. Combining tradition and innovation, he has designed different kinds of products such as chairs, armchairs, sofas, shelf systems, lamps, glassware and jewellery. He has also worked on architecture projects, such as showrooms and stores. 

The artist’s personality is evident in all his designs. He uses his own experiences, daily life, childhood, observations and thoughts while developing ideas and designs for his products. Häberli’s designs show his passion for his job and quality products, and his works and designs have been shown in numerous exhibitions and over the years, he has received many awards for his work.

Quodes
Quodes is a design-driven Dutch furniture company founded in 2006 by Bert Por. The collection consists of tables, chairs and storage units. 90% is produced in the Netherlands and Germany.
They offer contemporary and authentic pieces with a timeless quality designed for the private home, office environment and hospitality spaces.

Alfredo Häberli
https://www.alfredo-haeberli.com/about/biography (Biography)

Bookcase
https://www.alfredo-haeberli.com/work/storage/13-99/pattern (Pattern)
http://www.aybar-gallery.com/index.php/works/detail/97/pattern (Pattern)
https://archello.com/product/pattern-design-alfredo-haberli (Archello)
https://www.dezeen.com/2007/04/19/alfredo-haberli-for-quodes/ (Dezeen)
https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3ds-max-pattern-alfredo-h%C3%A4berli/356063
https://trends.archiexpo.com/quodes/project-70438-256725.html

Quodes
https://quodes.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Quodes-Pattern-Product-Information-vdec2016.pdf
https://quodes.com/wp/project/pattern/
https://quodes.com/wp/wallpaper-award-for-pattern-as-best-shelving/https://www.archiexpo.com/prod/quodes/product-70438-517342.html

Bookcase/Shelving 2/3, by Alix Welter
An instance of bookcase/shelving, by Alix Welter (1984–), an architect from Liège, Belgium. The bookcase, being modular, comes in two pentagonal forms, of 5 and 11 cells, and is made of birch plywood. It is titled ‘Pentagonal Shelving System’ (of the ‘Redux Smooth Serie’), of 2011, and is one of two shelves; he also produced an ‘Isometric Shelving System’, not discussed here. Welter states:
This modular shelving system is based on a study of an infinite grid.
In this model, the basic shape is an irregular pentagon. The system consists of a few parts. Parts are assembled without hardware nor glue.
With the basic parts, the user can create different objects. It is free-standing and this system allows to move the furniture in various positions, it can also be a separator of spaces.
This system can produce an infinite number of piece of furniture.
The form of the shelf has no more limits.

Welter has a website in English but is not searchable, and the shelving is briefly, albeit of a dedicated nature, discussed (as above), without reference to the Cairo tiling, with only ‘... irregular pentagon’. Further, no reference is made to the Cairo tiling in the literature outside his side, with only pentagons mentioned. Therefore, whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. However, given the lack of reference, likely that he is unaware of the association. As alluded to above, the angles and side lengths are not given. 

The bookcase, as of this writing (2019) is still available to buy from him. The cost is not known, seemingly available upon request.

Designer Background Details
Alix Welter was born in Liège in 1984 and studied Architecture at the Institute Saint Luc Liège de Wallonie, graduating in 2007. He developed a series of furniture in parallel to collaborations in the field of architecture. The most significant architectural collaboration is with the Atelier d’Architecture Beguin-Massart, with whom he takes part in various projects from public to private.

In the collections that he is currently developing, ranging from wooden or steel furniture to objects, the participation of the user in setting up the objects is fundamental because it allows him to comprehend the origins, and the design becomes a game.

http://www.alixwelter.com/pentagonal-shelving-system-2/
http://www.alixwelter.com/pentagonal-shelving-system-3/

Bookcase/Shelving Unit 3/3, by Alexander Pincus
Alexander Pincus, a US architect, in 2013 designed a new series of steel and walnut furniture with the appropriately named ‘Cairo’ that explores a recurring hexagonal pattern. Elements include large and small display shelving, low cabinets, a credenza, and a room divider.

https://pinc.us/cairo/

CHAIRS (2)

'Bretzel Love’ Chair, Paris, France, 1/2

An instance of a chair, as seen at ‘Bretzel Love’, Paris, France (as related by Robert Ferréol), a small pretzel bakery company of just six shops. Translated, bretzel equals pretzel. (Incidentally, the same French term for a pretzel is also used in Germany.) However, there are some uncertainties here as to the exact location. Bretzel Love has two branches in Paris, of which one this chair appeared in is unclear. Possibly it is at two branches. A blog posting with a picture by ‘Otter’ gives this, or implies, at Val d'Europe, a shopping mall located 30 minutes to the east of Paris. Does this qualify as Paris? However, another possibility, from a Trip Advisor report, it appears to be at rue du Cinéma, opposite the entrance to the Suzanne Berlioux Gymnasium at the Forum des Halles in Paris. Be that as it may, quite when the chair was introduced is unclear, but it is relatively recent, the brand having first opened in 2009. ‘Otter’ dates this at least of 2013. Further, the chair appears to be different at each of the six branches, and so is not a corporate-themed design. Likely, it was a one-off purchase, from the locality.

Understandably, chair pictures are at a premium here, with the natural focus being on the pretzels themselves, along with a general view of the shops. I have only found two other pictures, one from Otter, above, and another from the Trip Advisor report, afar, at an unfavourable angle that appears to show the chair, from which I deduced the rue du Cinéma likelihood above from a caption.

Although of no interest to the chair, out of curiosity, I thought I would investigate the origin of pretzels, given the ‘alternative’ French name. Prior, I thought it was American, but not so, albeit the origins are a little unclear, with Italian, French (monks) and German (bakers) claims from 600AD. It was only in the late 18th century, southern German and Swiss German immigrants introduced the pretzel to North America. So there you go...

Of note is the interlacing structure, reminiscent of M. C. Escher’s periodic drawing 133 and Rinus Roelofs’ work.

I did not contact the company, judged that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, of a non-commercial query decidedly peripheral to the business. The company has a website suitable for their needs but is not searchable. They also have a presence on Facebook, but not Twitter.

Many aspects here remain unresolved. Essentially Bretzel Love is secondary to the story, in that they are only using the chair arbitrary, one of many possibilities. However, It would be pleasing to clarify the number and places of the sightings. Of more interest is to who designed and manufactured the chair. This is unknown. As ever, does anyone know more about this?

Background

Bretzel Love was founded by Patrick Abbou and Johan Assuied in 2009. Bretzel Love, with six shops in France.

http://www.bretzellove.com/index.php (home page of the company; note that there are no pictures of the chair throughout the site)

http://loutrepoilue.blogspot.com/2013/04/loutre-mange-bretzel-love-restaurant.html (blog by ‘Otter’, her real name is not given)

https://fr.tripadvisor.ch/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d6527963-Reviews-Bretzel_Love-Paris_Ile_de_France.html#photos;aggregationId=101&albumid=101&filter=7&ff=398290838 (Trip Advisor)

Acknowledgements

Robert Ferréol, of France, for drawing this sighting to my attention upon a visit to the Paris shop, in August 2016.

Original, four-line entry 8 September 2016. Revised and greatly expanded entry of 27 January 2020.

Chair, Monsieur Meuble, a French furniture chain store, 2/2

An instance of a chair, from ‘Monsieur Meuble’, a brand of furniture shops across France. However, details here are scant in the extreme; this is the only instance I have. All the detail available is as described on the label. Translations:

Monsieur Meuble = Mister Furniture, Liquidation = Liquidation, Avant Travaux = Before Works, Le fauteuil tissu = The fabric armchair.

From this, the chair appears to have been part of a liquidation sale. Such liquidation sales are by no means uncommon for Monsieur Meuble; many instances can be seen by searching on the term. It seems likely that the chair was an oddment upon being deleted from the range. The price seems outrageous, even at the sale price, from £808 down to £566! For the reasons above, researching this chair is extremely difficult, and of which I have made no progression. Does anyone know more about this? No detail is too small to mention.

Monsieur Meuble has an extensive social media presence on Facebook and YouTube, but not on Twitter (just four tweets!). Tantalisingly, the banner picture on YouTube, as of this January 2020 writing, has another possible Cairo tiling, but the resolution is so small as to be uncertain! It was ever thus... 

Monsieur Meuble (excerpted from their history page)

Monsieur Meuble, 40 years in the service of furniture

Founded by a merchant from Saint-Etienne in 1959, the parent organization was originally a group of independent stores in the form of a cooperative company - the Union Franco Européenne du Meuble (UFEM) - whose objective is to allow customers to access quality furniture at a more affordable price. Very quickly based in Paris, in the 17th arrondissement, the beginnings of the organization behind Monsieur Meuble brought together 11 people. Since January 1971, the company has continued to develop, notably by acquiring a commercial brand: Monsieur Meuble. Today, nearly 120 brands are installed in France and offer a common offer, for all customers who embark on an interior design project.

Backed by a network of brands throughout France, Monsieur Meuble's ambition is to be a strong brand in the mid-range high-end furniture sector.

Further, the company has not expanded beyond France.

 
Acknowledgements

Vincent Pantaloni, for drawing this to my attention in a tweet of 17 May 2017.

https://www.monsieur-meuble.com/notre-histoire/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeHCd65bPSZuRnvaNHZ89uQ

Entry History

Original, three-line entry 27 July 2017. Revised and greatly expanded entry of 28 January 2020.

Ceiling Panels (3), of Davos Congress Centre, Switzerland; Ghemlamco Arena, Belgium and Tamara Lebanese Bistro Restaurant, Cairo

Davos Congress Centre, Switzerland, 1/3
A significant sighting and indeed magnificent is at the well-known Davos Congress Centre, Klosters, Switzerland, opened in 1969, and the venue for the World Economic Forum since 1971. The centre has subsequently undergone major transformations and extensions in 1979, 1989 and 2010. The 2010 extension saw the Cairo tiling installed as a honeycombed suspended ceiling at the new plenary hall (which is itself pentagonal) with a 1,800-delegate capacity. The lighting of the room, coming from inside the panels, makes the concrete structure have a very light appearance, as if the ribs they were floating, and making them look like mere decorative elements. The architectural style of Davos, with its famous flat roofs, echoes the installation. The cost of the build was 40 million Swiss Francs (£32 million). The hall was designed by Basel, Switzerland architects Degelo Architekten, founded by Heinrich Degelo. However, little, if anything, is known about the background to this installation; the website has merely bare-bone detail (and without reference to the Cairo tiling), although a like presentation is seen throughout the site on other projects, and the architects did not answer my mail asking for more details. That said, this is discussed by Beatriz Fernández García, of the Universidad de Valladolid, Spain, where García asserts or at least implies, foreknowledge of the Cairo tiling by the architects, and so I will thus take this at face value, the awareness of the architects. For the mathematical tourist, it is not entirely clear if the hall (and indeed the building at large) is open to the casual visitor. If any reader does visit, do tell me if this is visitable or not!

Although it’s most unlikely, would any reader have details to add to the above?

Of the architect, Degelo Architekten is a Swiss architecture firm founded in 2005 by the architect Heinrich Degelo, born in 1957. It has won many awards.

Geographically, Davos is a winter and summer resort village located in the heart of the Graubünden in the east of Switzerland. In the early 1990s, Davos became famous for hosting the World Economic Forum, an annual winter gathering of international politicians and financiers who represented a transnational elite. Together with the nearby town of Klosters, Davos offers a wide variety of winter sports activities and summer hiking trails, set amid stunning Alpine scenery.

https://www.davos.ch/en/davos-klosters/portrait-image/storytelling/architecture/
https://www.davoscongress.ch/en/for-visitors/
https://www.degelo.net/projekte/Erweiterung-Kongresshaus-Davos.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoHtlfx939M (This 5.08-minute video shows the construction of the hall from start to finish, of which the ceiling installation is at 2.12- 2.33)
https://www.davos.ch/en/davos-klosters/meeting-place/congress-centre/
(This 1.38-minute video, upon an initial scroll, shows the interior of the hall, of which the ceiling installation is at 42-58 seconds)
https://www.degelo.net/wAssets/docs/138_Degelo_Davos_A3-quer.pdf
https://docplayer.es/68175201-Indice-1-el-porque-de-este-trabajo-3.html

Ghelamco Arena, Belgium, 2/3
The Ghelamco Arena (began 2010, completed 2013, and named after the constructor), of Ghent,  Belgium, a multi-use stadium (especially of the football club K. A. A. Gent), has a notable instance of the Cairo tiling, of modular pentagonal ceiling panels with acoustical sound absorption properties. This was designed by Mac Stopa of the Polish architectural practice Massive Design (founded 1996). The developer of the Ghelamco Arena, the Belgium company Ghelamco NV, commissioned Massive Design to provide the interior design for 20,000 sq. m. (200,000 sq. ft.) of the stadium’s interiors, including floor finishes, ceiling and lighting design. The Ghelamco Arena project also won an Interior Design Best of Year Honoree Award 2013 in the public space category. The modular pentagonal ceiling panels, of a ‘loose’ Cairo-tiling arrangement, have acoustical sound absorption properties, whose shape resembles the classic geometry of the stitched panels of a soccer ball. Approximately 10,000 Ecophon boards were cut to size and shape custom-designed by Mac Stopa.

Stopa can undoubtedly be described as an enthusiast of the Cairo tiling, having used it extensively in a variety of architectural projects, great and small. (Another instance is at the Warsaw Spire Complex, Poland, and on clothing and wallpaper too. In addition to the orthodox presentation, these also involve variations of the design, where warping is evident.) However, there is no mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on the site and elsewhere, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. But Stopa must surely unaware of this association. Indeed, it may very well be stated, but if so among the vast amount of writings/publicity available on this project I have not been able to find this. 

I have previously contacted the practice (of 2015) in regards of the Ghelamco Arena, Ghent, Belgium, and of which although I received a polite and helpful reply, this was relatively brief, and would appear likely to have been overseen by office personnel rather than Stopa himself. My email primarily concerned photo permissions, rather than matters of his knowledge of the Cairo tiling as such, although I did mention the Cairo tiling by name. I should have been more specific! Although it would indeed be interesting to hear more details why he favours the Cairo tiling so much, in the light of this reply I have decided not to pursue further queries.

Background
Mac Stopa is an award-winning architect and designer, whose work spans several design disciplines: architecture, interior design, industrial design, art, graphic design and fashion. He is known for designing modern, innovative and functional interiors that reflect and enhance a company’s corporate image. The practice has won 66 international design awards. It is stated that he has an interest in mathematics and geometry. He seems to have acquired a degree of fame, with many published articles on him and interviews. He has an extensive social media presence on Facebook and YouTube. Stopa (and his wife, Dana) both seem to be lively characters, with their designs modelled by themselves on (colourful) clothing. He is also an electric guitar player and a music composer!

About Ecophon
Saint-Gobain Ecophon develops, manufactures and markets acoustic products and systems that contribute to a good working environment by enhancing peoples’ wellbeing and performance. Ecophon has business units in 14 countries, delegations in another 30 countries worldwide, and approximately 800 employees. The head office is located in Hyllinge, just outside Helsingborg, Sweden. Ecophon is part of the global Saint-Gobain Group.

http://www.ghelamco.be/site/w/news-view/57/ghelamco-arena-wins-annual-interior-award.html
http://massivedesign.pl/Awards/ghelamco-arena-ghent-belgium-interiors-project-by-massive-design-wins-interiors-award-2014-2/
https://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/article/1514709/ghelamco-arena

Tamara Lebanese Bistro Restaurant, Cairo, 3/3
Some interesting and indeed novel use is to be seen at the Tamara Lebanese bistro, in Cairo, with numerous geometric patterned panels suspended from the ceiling, one of which includes the Cairo tiling. Such an instance gives credence as to its being a traditional Islamic tiling, although there is scant evidence of this. Upon enquiring with the company, of a Lebanese premise, on the possibility of these being from Lebanon, they told me that these were simply generic Islamic designs.

Wall Art (1), by Joseph Warren
An instance of wall art, titled ‘CAIRO’ (capitalised as in the original), of which determining the originator and background is not easy, and of which the story is decidedly tiresome to unravel, with scant detail available and much obfuscation. Therefore, the text below is subject to revision. That said, from what little detail there is, or can reasonably be surmised, the designer appears to be Joseph Warren, of the UK, whose name is associated with this on the commercial Saatchi Art site (the world’s leading online art gallery). The art is titled ‘CAIRO No. Eighteen No. 1’ (as according to the number of tiles), of the inflated price (of which Saatchi is renowned for) of £743! It would indeed be interesting to know if this sold! This is described as:

Installation: Paint, Enamel, Stencil on Steel. One of a series of unique painted steel artworks.

CAIRO artworks are inspired by the tessellating pentagonal tiles found on pavements in the Egyptian capital. Exploring a modern industrial aesthetic, CAIRO pentagons are formed from steel and copper, and given a playful variety of surface treatments. The result is a collection of striking, three-dimensional geometric artworks with endless permutations, and timeless appeal.

Fits to wall with magnetic fixings which are included.

The wall art is also marketed on the commercial site ‘Image Surgery’ (seemingly related to Saatchi).  This is described as:

CAIRO Four Nº1 £120.00 (but out of stock as of this 2019 writing)

Three-dimensional geometric artwork inspired by the tessellating pentagonal tiles found on pavements in the Egyptian capital.

CAIRO is a series of artworks inspired by the tessellating pentagonal tiles found on pavements in the Egyptian capital. Exploring a modern industrial aesthetic, CAIRO pentagons are formed from a variety of materials and given experimental surface treatments. The result is a collection of striking, three-dimensional geometric artworks with endless permutations, and timeless appeal.

CAIRO artworks are supplied with concealed magnetic wall fittings for invisible mounting.

The designer, presumably Joseph Warren, is thus aware of the Cairo association, and so the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful here.

Apparently, the art was exhibited at London Design Fair, possibly of 2017, from a Joseph Warren Twitter retweet, although details here are next to non-existent; I was not able to find the reference on their site.

The Saatchi and Image Surgery sites show different versions. On the Saatchi site, the tiles are coloured curiously, within an overall blue, green and black premise, with single pentagons of blue, green and black and other tiles with arbitrary divisions and circles. The Image Surgery site has single pentagons of blue, red and orange and black and white stripes, with geometric symbols overlaid, of an arrow, equilateral triangle a U shape and circles, all in contrasting colours. Both colouring schemes are arbitrary and baffling!

I did not contact Image Surgery, Saatchi Art or Joseph Warren. I judged that Image Surgery and Saatchi Art would not reply, and as for Joseph Warren I simply gave up; he obviously doesn't want to be contacted, detailed below! But why be active on Twitter? It is all most strange. Each to his own...

More than most entries here, this entry, of various trying aspects, is undeserving of my time and largesse. But there you go; it is now documented.

Background
Joseph Warren

Warren himself, presumably a designer of sorts, is somewhat of a mystery! The only details given on his Saatchi page are his location, namely Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom! His Twitter page likewise gives no detail and is without contact details! No other relevant detail is given.

Saatchi Art

Saatchi Art, based in Los Angeles is the world’s leading online art gallery, connecting people with art and artists they love. Saatchi Art offers an unparalleled selection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and photography in a range of prices, and it provides artists from around the world with an expertly curated environment in which to exhibit and sell their work.

Image Surgery
Limited edition prints, letterpress cards, original artwork and functional homeware designed and produced in England for worldwide art and design insiders.

London Design Fair
The largest collection of international designers, brands, country pavilions, features and exhibitions in one destination. Located in the creative heart of East London, the London Design Fair is a four-day industry event that brings together 550 exhibitors from 36 countries.

https://twitter.com/joseph_lucien (see 30 January 2017 retweet)

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Installation-CAIRO-Eighteen-N-1/6632/3230640/view

https://imagesurgery.com/product/cairo-four-no1

Wall Art (2), of 'Litton Lane' Range
An instance of wall art, from the ‘Litton Lane’ range, of two pieces titled ‘Yellow and Brown Wooden Honeycomb Wall Decor’, 28 in. x 28 in, for $57.42, and ‘Rustic Geometric Patterns Wooden Wall Decor in Stained Brown’, 35 in. x 35 in, for $76.00. This is available from The Home Depot, US (the largest home improvement retailer in the United States, although unknown in the UK) and likely other outlets too, as Litton Lane is frequently mentioned, although I have not found more instances of the Cairo tiling art here. This is respectively described as:

This square wall art made of Chinese fir wood and MDF features a geometric pattern of interconnected pentagons in black, brown, and gold that complement shabby-chic-inspired design themes. The simple, geometric design and square frame of this wall art blend well with modern-style theme settings. This wall art comes in distressed colors and finishes that add a distinct rustic vibe to interior design themes.

and

This wall plaque features geometric-shaped accents crafted of fir wood. It features distressed brown, yellow and white finishes that will look great on your rustic and traditional home settings. This decorative piece is enclosed in a sturdy wood frame with a distressed brown finish that can be hung easily on your wall.

Oddly, both instances list just three colours, but this is incorrect, each instance has four colours; a light brown and blue colouring were inexplicably omitted here.

No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on the Home Depot page and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely the (non-stated) designer is unaware of this association as this would have otherwise have been stated. A curiosity here is that the ‘Yellow and Brown…’ instance has a picture that is not a Cairo tiling as such, as the angles here are clearly not 90°, albeit close. Likely, given the true Cairo tiling, the (non-stated) designer misrepresented the Cairo tiling. Whatever, uncertainties aside, as this nonetheless is very much as a Cairo tiling in appearance, I have thus decided to include, of which I describe as a ‘near miss’.

I did not contact The Home Depot, judged likely that from a major conglomerate I would not receive a reply. 

Background Details
Litton Lane is apparently a title given to a wall art range, of which The Home Depot gives 107 items. As such, I was unable to find any more detail on the name.

The Home Depot was founded in 1978 and is the largest home improvement retailer in the United States, and indeed the world, supplying tools, construction products, and services.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Litton-Lane-28-in-x-28-in-Yellow-and-Brown-Wooden-Honeycomb-Wall-Decor-98727/302267119
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Litton-Lane-35-in-x-35-in-Rustic-Geometric-Patterns-Wooden-Wall-Decor-in-Stained-Brown-59461/301937063

Wall Art (3), by Pier Paolo Spinazzè, Italy
Pier Paolo Spinazzè, of Italy, an artist and designer who describes himself as a wall designer, makes extensive usage of the Cairo tiling as wall art. He has a website, albeit primarily he is more prominent on social media with Facebook. Oddly, despite an undoubted interest in the Cairo tiling (and indeed other pentagon tilings), although the Cairo connection is acknowledged (although incorrectly, with ‘souks’) this is not detailed as such on his site or Facebook page. 

As alluded to above, many instances can be seen, of which perhaps the most impressive is that on a Beetle car. Other instances include the company MGM Minerbe and at Veronafiere SpA - Fiera di Verona

I contacted Spinazzè, of this 2019 inclusion (with a translation), and previously, but he did not respond to requests for photo permissions and specific background details.

Background Pier Paolo Spinazzè, born 1982, has since 1998 dealt with the creation of murals, street art, and graffiti, a passion that he has been able to turn into work. No other relevant detail is given.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/ilpierdesign/photos/?ref=page_internal

Crossword Puzzles

Crossword Puzzles, in The Listener. 1/2
Two instances of crossword puzzles, by ‘Croton’, in the UK weekly magazine The Listener, titled ‘Hexa-Pentagonal I’, puzzle 1128 of 13 December 1951 and ‘Hexa-Pentagonal II’, puzzle 1251, of 22 April 1954. Puzzlers were invited to send their solution in for a prize. 

Research is hampered by not having direct access to the source, of which the references are only available for institutional access, with GALE, and explicitly excludes individual subscriptions. Does anyone have access to this archive to clarify matters? 

That said, all is not lost! Puzzle 1128 (as a facsimile?) is repeated in a general book on the crosswords by Millington [1], with The Listener and Croton sources given. This is accompanied with further relatively lengthy explanatory text, beginning with ‘The diagram of 64 pentagons…’ but it is not clear if this is from The Listener or is Millington’s commentary. Both clues and the solution are given. It is also shown, suitably redrawn, in Mottershead [2], with mention of Croton, albeit without The Listener source being credited. It is also mentioned in passing in Rollett [3], below (albeit without any significance per se), with The Listener credited but no mention of the Croton reference:
2530. A pentagonal tessellation.
My colleague Mr. R. C. Lyness noticed this pattern on the floor of a school in Germany. It has also appeared in a crossword puzzle in The Listener. It might be used in "patchwork " as a change from the traditional hexagon.
I have not seen puzzle 1251, only being aware of it on the dedicated fan crossword puzzle site of The Listener, run by Roger Phillips. Each puzzle is described on the site as follows:
Crossword No. 1128: Hexa-Pentagonal by Croton
Symmetry: 180 degree + mirror
Size: 64 cells

Theme:
Grid comprises two overlapping hexagonal lattices such that each hexagon is divided into four pentagons, and contains a 4-letter word read clockwise; four 8-letter words are formed along the edges.
Prizewinners:
J Brasier (Sibford Gower), F E Spurrell (Ruislip), J H Bingham (Sheffield)

Crossword No. 1251: Hexa-Pentagonal — II by Croton
Symmetry: 90 degree + mirror
Size: 100 cells

Theme:
Grid comprises two overlapping hexagonal lattices such that each hexagon is divided into four pentagons, and contains a 4-letter word read clockwise; four 10-letter words are formed along the edges.

Prizewinners:
P H Scott (Maidenhead), J M Doulton (Orpington), W F Kibble (Cheam)

Of some not inconsiderable interest is to who exactly is Croton. Given the early date for its appearance, of just the thirteenth such instance, this is thus of more interest than of latter-day concerns. Of possible interest concerning the investigation is that he also set two other puzzles, also of a mathematical theme, between the two Cairo instances, ostensibly on Pythagoras matters. However, I have also not seen these. He seems to have set puzzles for a brief period of four years, once a year, from 1951-1954. Setters of the puzzle invariably operated under a pseudonym, and so this identification of him was standard practice. It is not clear if the compilers real name was also given, or on occasion, at the time. The Listener crossword site has a dedicated setters section, of which this has a page where the compiler’s names are given, where known, but unfortunately ‘Croton’ is one of the few entries for which a name is not available! I contacted Roger Phillips, Co-editor, of The Listener Crossword site for further details (in 2012), of which although I received a reply he was unable to tell me who he or she was; the detail was simply not there. Given the passage of time, it is likely he or she is now no longer alive. With such a paucity of detail, finding Croton is thus extremely difficult, if not next to impossible. Indeed, there is nothing to go on beyond an obvious mathematical interest and the pseudonym! Croton (now southern Italy) is of course geographically famous with a Pythagoras association. But how to progress the investigation with still such a broad base? Are you there, Croton?

 Given as this predates the instigation of the named Cairo association, there is thus naturally no mention made.

As to the diagram and puzzle itself, with a presumed facsimile, this is relatively crudely hand-drawn, and furthermore of a small scale, that it is not clear as to the exact pentagon intended. However, it is possibly meant to be equilateral. Interestingly, this, in the title and/or Millington, see above, notes the pentagon-hexagon interpretation/arrangement. Great play in the literature is made of The Listener having themed puzzles, although here, from the clues, this does not appear to be so in this case.

Background
The Listener was a weekly magazine established by the BBC in January 1929 which ceased publication in 1991. The entire digitised archive was made available for purchase online to libraries, educational and research institutions in 2011. It was first published on 16 January 1929, under the editorship of Richard S. Lambert, and was developed as a medium of record for the reproduction of broadcast talks. It also previewed major literary and musical broadcasts, reviewed new books, and printed a selected list of the more intellectual broadcasts for the coming week.

Its published aim was to be ‘a medium for intelligent reception of broadcast programmes by way of amplification and explanation of those features which cannot now be dealt with in the editorial columns of the Radio Times’. The title reflected the fact that at the time the BBC broadcast via radio only.

The Listener crossword puzzle, introduced in 1930, is generally regarded as the most difficult cryptic crossword to appear in a national weekly. It survived the closure of The Listener and now appears in The Times on a Saturday, along with other puzzles and game articles on the last four pages of the Saturday Review section.

Of note is that unusual grids appeared from very early in the series. It took approximately 15 years before some of the more standard non-orthogonal grids appeared. No. 855 (1946) introduced the use of an hexagonal (“honeycomb”) grid. No. 1015 (1949) was the first with a circular grid. Both of these proved immediately popular with setters and have remained so ever since.

After the war, the Listener Crossword evolved significantly in terms of fairness and editorial quality, but continued to feature the most challenging thematic cryptic crosswords. It acquired a reputation as one of the best crossword series and became a cultural institution in Britain. No other crossword series has been parodied both by Punch and the Not the Nine O’Clock News team.

References 

Primary:
Croton, The Listener, 13 December 1951, puzzle 1128 Hexa-Pentagonal I
Croton, The Listener, 22 April 1954, puzzle 1251 Hexa-Pentagonal II

Secondary:
Millington, Roger. The Strange World of the Crossword Puzzle. M & J Hobbs in association with Michael Joseph, 1974
Mottershead, Lorraine. Sources of Mathematical Discovery. Basil Blackwell, 1977.
Rollett, A. P. ‘A pentagonal tessellation’. Mathematical Notes 2530. Mathematical Gazette, Vol. 39, No. 329, September 1955, p. 209.
As an aside, Rollett also shows the Cairo tiling in Mathematical Models, with H. M. Cundy.

The Listener Crossword Site (independent of the magazine)
http://www.listenercrossword.com/ (Home page)
http://www.listenercrossword.com/Years/Puzzles/L1/L11/L1128.html (Background details on puzzle 1128)
http://www.listenercrossword.com/Years/Puzzles/L1/L12/L1251.html (Background details on puzzle 1251)
http://www.listenercrossword.com/Setters/C/Croton.html (On Croton’s four puzzles)
http://www.listenercrossword.com/HTML/History02.html (A history, in the context of grids and clue formats)
http://www.listenercrossword.com/HTML/Reference03.html (Generic puzzle sources, including Millington)

Crossword Puzzle, Cairo-Muster-Rätsel, 2/2
An instance of a German crossword puzzle, titled ‘Cairo-Muster-Rätsel’, which translates as ‘Cairo Pattern Puzzles’, was drawn to my attention by Ulrich Seidel of Germany. However, beyond these bare details, little more is known. The journal/newspaper and year are not stated. I received this in October 2017.

As mention is made of the Cairo tiling on the page, the use of the Cairo tiling is thus purposeful.

Background
In effect there is nothing more to add, all the detail I have is as above!

Acknowledgement
Ulrich Seidel, for drawing this puzzle to my attention.

 1-2 July 2025. Google New Sites Update. The conversion from Classic Sites had left the page in a somewhat disjointed manner,  a common finding on long pages, as here, with random text box breaks, which I now correct with 'one entry, one text box'. Also, the conversion had text put in some sections into columns rather than across the page, making for a disjoint appearance. This I now correct. Also, I corrected the text in Grammarly (pending a more intensive reappraisal), with more errors, some basic, than I care to admit.

Page History
The page history is somewhat imprecise in a general sense, in that entries have been moved around as the 'as' concept evolved, so much so that a definitive order is lost.  Therefore, I content myself with listing when the entry was added as a 'as' category.

2015
Tamara Bistro Restaurant added 11 December.

2016
Chair, 'Bretzel Love’ Café added 8 September.

2017
Chair, Monsieur Meuble, text and picture added 27 July.
Folded paper, by Ron Resch  text and picture added 26 October.
Marquetry, by Helio and Co, London, UK text added 31 October.
Coffee table by Monzer Hammoud, text and pictures added 3 November.
Format revised, as the scope was a little too broad, with three in situ Cairo tiling aspects included (Attraction, Manufacturer, Downtown sighting), now better judged placed elsewhere as entities in their own right.10 November 2017.
Coffee Table, by Francesco Caracciolo di Marano and Sam Robin, text and pictures added 14 November.
Wall Installation, at the Arndale Centre, Manchester, UK, text and picture added 15 November. REMOVED 2019.
Acoustic Walls, by Kamilla Lang Hermansen, of  Norway, text added 16 November.
Shelving Unit, by Alexander Pincus, text and picture added 30 November.
Origami, by John Szinger, text and picture added 6 December.
Origami, by David Mitchell, text and picture added 19 December.

2018
Escher-like fish puzzle, by Angie Leslie, text and pictures added 3 January.

2019
Ceiling, Davos Congress Centre, Switzerland, added as ceiling panel, (of an architectural dual placing), 7 October.
Ceiling, Ghelamco Arena, Belgium added as ceiling panel (of an architectural dual placing), 10 October.
Wall Panels, Fluffo, Poland, text, pictures and links added 14 October (new entry).
Wall Art, Pier Paolo Spinazzè, Italy, text and links added 16 October (new entry).
Wall Art, Joseph Warren, UK, text, pictures and links added 17 October (new entry).
Wall Art, Litton Lane, US, Wall Art, text, pictures and links added 18 October (new entry).
Silkscreens, Holly Alderman and Arthur Loeb, text, picture and links added 1 November (new entry).
Bookshelf, Alfredo Häberli, text, picture and links added 4 November (new entry).
Bookshelf, Alix Welter, text, and links added 5 November (new entry).
'Conceptual Spatial Puzzle', Mark Cabrinha, text, pictures and links added 7 November (new entry).
Table, by Andreas Hopf. Text addition to existing 2013 entry.
3D Wall Panel and Light Box, of individual entries, Outer Art Co, text, picture and links added 14 November (new entries).
Origami, Arseniy K, Russia? Text and link added 2 December (new entry).Origami, by Rob Foord, UK. Text and links added 6 December (new entry).
Crossword Puzzle, by 'Croton', in The Listener. Text, picture and links added 9 December (new entry).
Crossword Puzzle, titled ‘Cairo-Muster-Rätsel’. Text, picture and links added 10 December (new entry).

Paper Arts, Origami, Eric Gjerde, US. Text, picture and links added 18 December (new entry).
Paper Arts, Origami, Carlos Natan López Nazario, Mexico. Text and links added 19 December (new entry).

Jali, by Simon Ray. Text, picture and link added 23 December (new entry).
Jali, by 'Olx of Quickr'. Text, picture and link added 24 December (new entry).
Jali, by Metropolitan Museum of Art. Text, pictures and link added 27 December (new entry).

Page Creations

There have been so many page creations and revisions for what is this now broad 'Miscellaneous 1' grouping, under a variety of names and inclusions that its history is lost. For what it is worth, I previously recorded versions of 2012 and 2014.

Page Created: 18 June 2012. Revised and enlarged subsequently, out of all recognition.

New, overall page created 7 August 2014, for a more streamlined section, assembling previous single pages as a miscellaneous entity

Page created as a subset of the Cairo tiling ('As Miscellaneous 1') 6 December 2019, with existing appropriate entries (as detailed above) on a generic 'Miscellaneous' page (which had become somewhat unwieldy) duly 'moved' here. Or more exactly, for reasons of convenience and speed, I copied the page, and deleted non-appropriate entries, before continuing to add new entries from this date. The effective history seemingly dates back to 2014, of which I lack the will to document.