As Miscellaneous 2

A continuation of the Cairo Tiling 'as' theme, with upon having distinct, dedicated sections for extensive architecture, flooring, paving, wall tiles, paper 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. 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 of this study, it 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 initial outline, a picture and discussions, ending with links. On occasions, I am unable to show pictures as the image holder did not respond to request for permissions, and where this arises I thus instead give a link. I began by placing sightings individually, broadly as found, rather than as a type, such as all instances of tables and panels etc. However, as of the 2019 return, I now place as to type, and frequency, which at least gives a modicum of order. 

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

The instances include:
Bar Decor
Carpets, The Jolie Brise pub , UK and MS Amera, ship
Furniture, Pouffe/Ottoman.
Sculpture. Bojan Šarčević, Doug DaFoe, Rinus Roelufs
Torus. Kenneth Peel

Strictly, this sighting is open as to inclusion here as this is not wholly a Cairo tiling, as the vertical (but not horizontal) ‘baseline’ has been omitted on the pentagons, but nonetheless, as the design is indeed and intended to be of a Cairo like-nature it is thus included.

Not unexpectedly, there is no mention of the tiling on the Chutney Mary website. 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 they are unaware of the association. As alluded to above, the angles and side lengths are not given.

I did not contact the Chutney Mary, judged that for such a non-commercial query to a (decidedly up-market) restaurant I would be unlikely to receive a reply. 

Background Details
Chutney Mary is a fine dining Indian restaurant in London, founded in 1990 by Ranjit Mathrani & Namita Panjabi through their restaurant company whose current name is MW Eat. It has received considerable critical acclaim over the years. It was originally in Kings Road, Chelsea, but relocated to St James's, London in 2015.

http://www.chutneymary.com/
https://www.chutneymary.com/Pukka-Bar/Pukka-Bar

Entry 13 November 2019

Interior Décor, Inamo St James Restaurant in Regent Street, London, UK
An instance of ‘interior décor’, for the want of a better description, at the now-defunct Inamo St James restaurant in Regent Street, London, UK opened 2010, closed 2016, and which relocated to Covent Garden in 2016. Inamo is a small restaurant chain, with three restaurants in Soho, Covent Garden and Camden. I qualify this sighting as ‘interior décor’ as it is not exactly clear as to categorically define this sighting! The tiling appeared on a variety of décor and elsewhere, not easily described! 

In more detail, the design appears on promotional materials, and seemingly on walls, bars and tables, possibly combined, it’s all infuriatingly most unclear!

With the closing of St. James, it now seems lost, as appears unlikely that the décor has been ‘transferred’; certainly, I cannot find any images of the tiling at the new location, or indeed at other branches in Soho, which launched the brand in 2008 and Camden, also of 2016. I had thought perhaps that this may appear as a corporate brand across the range, but apparently not so. The company/design agency responsible for the décor is unknown. The design agency ‘Blacksheep’ undertook the Soho design, but do not appear to have been associated with that of St. James.  If any reader does visit these restaurants, do let me know as to sightings, positive or otherwise! As an aside, the same sighting can be seen at the Chutney Mary ‘Pukka Bar’, see below.

Not unexpectedly, there is no mention of the tiling on the Imamo website. 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 they are unaware of the association. As alluded to above, the angles and side lengths are not given.

Strictly, this sighting is open as to inclusion here as this is not wholly a Cairo tiling, as the vertical (but not horizontal) ‘baseline’ has been omitted on the pentagons, but nonetheless, as the design is indeed and intended to be of a Cairo like-nature it is thus included.

I did not contact Inamo, judged that for such a non-commercial query to a restaurant I would be unlikely to receive a reply. 

Background Details

Inamo
https://www.inamo-restaurant.com/

Inamo are pioneering restaurants and bars, with locations in Soho, Covent Garden and Camden. They craft Japanese, Chinese, Thai & Korean cuisine, including fresh sushi, served to share. They were voted best local restaurant and outside bar in Camden, and best Brunch in Central London by TimeOut in 2018.

Their first site opened in 2008, and since then their groundbreaking interactive technology has delighted over a million patrons, and achieved countless awards. Interactive projections on your table surface enable you to set the mood, discover the local neighbourhood, and entertain you with retro games, live chef-cam feed, and even graffiti your table top.

Acknowledgement:
Michael Osborne, an expert on robotics at Oxford University, who kindly told me the restaurant and location, upon my seeing this sighting on a BBC interview featuring him talking on robotics conducted at the restaurant on 14 September 2015, of which the panel can be seen in the background 45 seconds into the clip:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34247358

‘Screen Dividers’ , Shinsegae’s Gangnam Store in Seoul, South Korea
Shinsegae’s Gangnam Store in Seoul, South Korea, in association with the New York-based retail design firm Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates have used the Cairo tiling extensively as what can best be called ‘screen dividers’, of 2017. This is described by Eric Feigenbaum, writing in VMSD (Visual Merchandising Store Design) as:
Bees to Honey
In celebration of the 15th anniversary of Shinsegae’s Gangnam store in Seoul, South Korea, the upscale department store partnered with New York-based retail design firm Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates to redesign the store’s shoe salon.
Envisioning a central women’s area that would be recognized as the “new world of shoes,” the footwear department was created to unify multiple shoe areas positioned throughout the location. The design solution helped expand the department by 20,000 square feet, while seamlessly accommodating more than 140 different shoe brands.
With all of these elements in mind, the design team created the “hive” as a reference to a community gathering. “We wanted a central space on the floor, a hub evoking a sense of community,” explained Jeffrey Hutchison, owner, Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates.
… Pentagonal, honeycomb-like screen dividers, reflective of a beehive’s geometry, are positioned at the edges of the center space, serving as a common thread that holds the five vocabularies of the individual rooms together. Each room has its own material palette, thereby enhancing and defining the nuances of each product offering...

As can be seen, there is little reference to pentagons here, never mind the Cairo tiling. Further, one could question the use of ‘honeycomb-like’ here to describe the pentagonal cells. Honeycombs are strictly hexagonal, and so ‘honeycomb’ cannot thus apply to the Cairo tiling, but Feigenbaum qualifies this with the word ‘like’. Whether he is aware of the differences is unclear. I have seen such a description applied to the Cairo tiling elsewhere.

Given the lack of reference made to the pentagonal tiling, and indeed seeking more information and picture permissions, I emailed Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates on 31 December 2019, but disappointingly did not receive a reply. 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 they are unaware of the association. As alluded to above, the angles and side lengths are not given. 

Further, it is not exactly clear who manufactured the screen and what material (it appears to be wood), but it is certainly impressive!

Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates has a suitably sized website but is not searchable.

Background (Excerpted from profile page)
Over the past 30 years Jeffrey Hutchison has exclusively worked in the fashion retail architecture and design arena. His specialized experience has attained him a distinguished level of excellence in the industry. Hutchison’s reputation is matched by his client portfolio which includes a broad array of creative projects from established global retail companies to emerging lifestyle brands and designers.

Today Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates boasts an impressive list of worldwide projects for clients such as Shinsegae International (Seoul), Palacio di Hierro (Mexico City), Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Donna Karan, Theory, Ralph Lauren, Loewe, Narciso Rodriguez, Ann Taylor, Nautica, Girbaud, Façonnable, Dooney & Bourke, HMX and Bloomingdales.

https://jeffreyhutchison.com/project/shinsegae-shoe-salon/ (pictures only; no pentagon discussion in the text) https://www.vmsd.com/content/bees-honey (by Eric Feigenbaum)

Entry 16 January 2020

Acoustic Walls/Board/Panels

The term acoustic ‘wall’, ‘board’ and 'panels' appears to be used synonymously (although I may be wrong). Here’s a brief introduction to acoustic boards, from Wikipedia: An acoustic board is a special kind of board made of sound absorbing materials. Its job is to provide sound insulation. Between two outer walls sound absorbing material is inserted and the wall is porous. Thus, when sound passes through an acoustic board, the intensity of sound is decreased. The loss of sound energy is balanced by producing heat energy. Uses. They are used in auditoriums, halls, seminar rooms, libraries, courts and wherever sound insulation is needed. Acoustic boards are also used in speaker boxes.

Fluffo, Poland Fluffo, of Borzecin Duzy (near Warsaw), Poland, founded in c. 2014, is a relatively small company who describe themselves as a manufacturer and supplier of acoustic wall panels, of flexible, dense polyurethane foam, with the finish resembling velvet. They have an extensive website in Polish and an English option but is not searchable and a social media presence on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. They market the Cairo tiling (of a ten-panel range) as ‘Fluffo SOFT’, as wall panels only. The range is described: Fluffo SOFT is a collection of decorative, soundproofing wall panels, available in a wide selection of colours, shapes and thicknesses. They soundproof a room in a beautiful and stylish way. With Fluffo SOFT you can enjoy a cosy, quiet and most importantly, beautiful interior. This is primarily marketed in Poland, available directly from themselves or distributors as well as other European countries, but only as a token presence; the UK has only one supplier. The Cairo tiling is titled, curiously, as ‘Chain’, without reference to a pentagon tile (as an aside, quite how I found this is a mystery!), albeit is not strictly of a single pentagon, but is rather fused, of a (slight) incline, albeit differentiated by colour. It is available in 52 colours, of four blues, four yellows etc. The angles and side lengths are not stated, although the height and width are, 367 x 550 mm, with a thickness of 20-50 mm. It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range. Given the widespread nature of the company, one would expect the tiles to feature in many homes, not just in Poland, but if so I have not seen any; all I have seen are as marketed, or supplied, by the company.

 No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on the site, 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 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.  

Company details and background Fluffo, of whom the founder’s name and exact date (from a start around 2012 before a company as such about 2014) remain unclear, make a great play on that the panels were invented, designed and produced in Poland. The work, originally in their garage, on the implementation of their first collection of panels, mastering the technology processes and the creation of Fluffo marketing took almost 1½ years. The main part of the production process is done manually. The technological process – even though known for decades – is extremely difficult to automate. Since the founding, they have produced over 200,000 panels. The number of employees is not stated. No other relevant detail is given.

http://fluffo.uk/en/at-home/fluffo-soft-soft-wall-panels

Acoustic Wall, by Kamilla Lang Hermansen
An instance of an ‘acoustic wall’, titled ‘Pentagon’, by Kamilla Lang Hermansen, now Kamilla Lang Betak, of Norway, who has a background in architecture and is now an Exhibition Architect at VejleMuseerne, Denmark. The acoustic wall is described by Betak on her Behance page (with minor corrections in spelling):
Pentagon is a system of elements which, when put together, creates acoustic walls to reduce noise in open space offices or schools. Above, the elements also have a pattern, which is the same on each pentagon. The pattern is inspired by old Norwegian wood carving.
As a trainee at mmw architects of Norway, I worked on the acoustic walls together with the young designers at StookeAustad [Design Studio] and the wood manufacturer Bosvik. The walls were created for the exhibition at Beyond Risør [a municipality and town in Norway] in June 2008.
… the material inside the pentagons, which has a sound reducing effect.

However, I have concerns here as to the project description. To me, this is not an (acoustic) wall as such, but rather a screen. Or perhaps it’s both; the pictures show another construct, of a solid nature. Who knows? Whatever, for now at least, albeit with reservations, I have decided to place under its title as given, and reference this as a screen in that particular section.

In short, with Betak leading the way, this was a collaboration, with two other partners, as above. However, beyond this, there are no other details. No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on the page or elsewhere as far as I can tell. I contacted Betak on this and other matters, but she did not respond. Given the secondary role StookeAustad and Bosvik had, I did not contact them. As such, it appears to have been a one-off design project of Betak, not commercialised; it is seemingly not mentioned subsequently by StookeAustad or Bosvik, nor did she apparently pursue this.

The pentagon angles and dimensions are not given. However, they can be seen to be ‘near equilateral’ or indeed perhaps equilateral.

 A curiosity here, and of potential undoubted historical interest is:
The pattern is inspired by old Norwegian wood carving.
The statement is somewhat ambiguous. By ‘pattern’, is Betak referring to the Cairo tiling or the sinuous inner decoration? Upon research, this would appear to be related to the decoration; Norway apparently has a tradition of wood carving, dating back to the Vikings. Therefore, it is not the pentagon, unfortunately!

 Background

 Kamilla Lang Betak
There is seemingly little detail on Betak as a person. She does not appear to have a website as such. She has a presence mostly on Behance, and to a lesser degree on LinkedIn. She is on Facebook, but a friend request is in order to see details

Her LinkedIn page gives:
Exhibition Architect at VejleMuseerne, Horsens, Central Region, Denmark, followed by her experience, education and languages spoken.

Beyond Risør 2008
Beyond Risør 2008 was a Norwegian design exhibition, a forum to bring young designers, experienced designers or architects together with manufacturers.

MMW
Founded in 1997, MMW, Architects, is committed to contributing positively to the built environment, while working in harmony with the natural environment. We create places that enrich life’s daily rituals and activities through beauty and efficiency.

StokkeAustad
Founded by industrial designers Jonas Ravlo Stokke and Øystein Austad in 2007, Oslo studio StokkeAustad believes in creating value through design, taking a holistic approach to the design process and creating profitable and lasting solutions to design challenges. The highly collaborative practice adopted by the studio in the production of objects and spaces frequently earns awards, including the Red Dot Award in 2013 and the Award for Design Excellence earlier this year. 

Bosvik (with minor corrections in spelling and English):
Bosvik AS was founded in 1949 by Emil Bosvik and was for a long time a major supplier of interior decoration and equipment to the pleasure boat industry. Later Bosvik also started producing office furniture and interior furniture which eventually became the main focus for Bosvik AS. Bosvik AS is today among the leading companies in Norway within office furniture and interior furniture manufacturing.

 Behance (stylized as Bēhance) is a social media platform owned by Adobe which aims "to showcase and discover creative work”.

https://www.behance.net/gallery/273966/Pentagonhttps://www.behance.net/gallery/273962/Beyond-Risoer-Set-design

Original entry 16 November 2017, of just three lines, excluding the title and link. Revised and greatly expanded entry 31 January 2020.

Panelling, Bayer Office, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Panelling, at Bayer pharmaceuticals company, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2018, by design lead Andrea Símboli of Contract Workplaces, a South American workplace design and construction company. Contract Workplaces were engaged by the major pharmaceutical company, Bayer, to create a new design for their office located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

More pictures and detail are at:
https://contractworkplaces.com/en/portfolio/bayer-argentina-2018/?actividad=Laboratories%20-%20Health
https://officesnapshots.com/2018/10/18/bayer-offices-buenos-aires/

Picture credits Contract Workplace, photographer Andrés Negroni.

Thanks to Celeste Grecco of Contract Workplaces for permissions.

Panels, Laminam Star Maker, by Mac Stopa of Massive Design, Poland
The somewhat curiously named ‘Laminam Star Maker’, by Mac Stopa of the Polish architectural practice Massive Design (founded 1996), is described as a ‘quartz-based panel’, and makes use of the Cairo tiling as ‘small elements’, so small that from any distance that they are not discernable! This is described as:
Laminam Star Maker is a three-dimensional puzzle made up of pentagonal stars, built into a larger-scale, hexagonal tessellation

However, as such, it's not a puzzle in the conventional sense and there are no stars (or at least as I can tell)! 

The panels are 100cm x 300cm, which can be divided into three modular 1m x 1m tiles. By moving or turning adjacent tiles (as seen in the video below), many multiple geometric expressions are achieved. These large, thin and perfectly flat stain-resistant quartz panels are ideal for floors, walls and stairs in public areas and in residential projects and for both indoor and outdoor applications, including elevations in large scale architecture. The Laminam Star Maker slab won the highest award in the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016 competition (called as the Oscars of Design). The Red Dot jury granted this product the most prestigious ‘Red Dot: Best of the Best’ award. The winning product has been developed in cooperation with Laminam Poland, who manufacture the panels. The first building in which the Laminam Star Maker slab was used is the modern office complex Warsaw Spire, Poland (see ‘As Architecture’ page).

As to technical matters, Laminam sintered quartz is a composition of natural materials, and in particular quartz, shale clays, granite rocks and ceramic pigments. Granules from the above raw materials are first pressed. Then, innovative sintering granulate is used, which is fired at a temperature of 1220 degrees. This method creates large-format Laminam boards that are perfectly flat and can be cut to a specific size with very high accuracy.

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 Ghelamco Arena, Belgium), 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 occurrence, 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.

About Mac Stopa 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
Laminam Laminam is a producer of large format plates made of sintered quartz. The company was founded in 2001 (by whom is not stated) and for several years has built an extremely strong position in the broadly understood ‘home and interior’ industry. Its products are known all over the world, and for several years the brand is also present in Poland. In Warsaw, you can visit the only Italian showroom in this part of Europe.

http://massivedesig.nazwa.pl/Awards/star-maker-by-mac-stopa-for-laminam-wins-red-dot-design-award-best-of-the-best-2016/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRM4Ei7f3ls&feature=youtu.beCairo tiling featured throughout, 2.25 minutes http://laminam.com.pl/component/k2/47-aktualnosci/red-dot-star-maker|

http://www.laminam.pl/

Pouffe/Ottoman 1, by Patrica Lascano, Argentina
Patricia Lascano of Argentina has a self-named design studio of which she markets a variety of interior design items, including seats and chairs. She has a website and a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. She markets the Cairo tiling (or what appears to be) as a pouffe (a cushioned footstool or low seat with no back). The pouffes themselves are evidently (from the images) designed to tile, which is a pleasing feature, although of course serve as single (utilitarian) furniture in themselves. 

Little detail is given on Lascano’s site and is without any reference to a pentagon, and what detail is given is largely inconsequential. She states:

Terron. Inspired by mathematic paterns (sic), these pouffs offer a number of different design combinations and could also create a infinite surface.

‘Terrón’ translates to ‘lump’ or ‘clod’, with another meaning as ‘cube’. Possibly this is  a sideways reference to pouffe lost in translation. 

This is also described as the ‘Deseo Project’ but quite what this is unclear. A search on this term gives ‘child sponsorship’. Elsewhere, on external sites, the pouffe is described as ‘penta tesela’.

 As alluded to above, it is not entirely clear if the tiling here is of a Cairo tiling, but it is hard to be sure; the pattern (fabric) appears to be ‘stretched’, and so thus distortions arise. Strictly, upon closer observation likely not. An individual pouffe can be seen to echo the pentagon in outline (and is a nice feature in concept), and of which, seen at this larger, ‘undistorted’ scale, this is thus not a Cairo tiling. That said, if not it is obviously related to the Cairo tiling, with the ‘secondary’ hexagons (consisting of four pentagons) at right angles in a typical Cairo manner, and so I have thus decided to include here.

This is primarily marketed in Argentina, although exactly where is not clear! Possibly they are available from ‘Wide’, with ‘Widestore’. It is available in two colours, yellow and dark grey. The angles and side lengths are not stated. It was introduced into her range in 2015.

No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on the site, 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 she is unaware of this association.

I did not contact Lascano, of which although as an individual I would more likely receive a reply than a major company I decided not to bother.

Design Studio details and background Patricia Lascano describes herself as an industrial designer since 2001. Her designs are produced and commercialized in Argentina and Brazil. Her products have several awards and some of them are part of the Argentine Design Collection of the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires MAMbA. No other relevant detail is given.

http://www.estudiolascano.com/Click on enter, and then scroll a little to the pouffe pictures. Clicking on the ‘strip’ at right gives individual pictures. https://wideonline.com.ar/diseno/penta-tesela-salon-deseo-faima/http://www.deseo.com.ar/catalogo/pentatesela/

Pouffe/Ottoman 2, by Dsignio/Beltá & Frajumar 4, Pouffe/Ottoman
An instance of a pouffe/ottoman (the terms appear transposable, and pouffe can be spelt differently), titled ‘Pent Pouff’, is a collaboration of c. 2014, between Spanish concerns Dsignio, an Integral Design Studio and Beltá & Frajumar, a furniture and upholstery manufacturer. (The item is confusingly described by Beltá & Frajumar as both a pouffe and ottoman. They also use both ottoman and pouff singly! However, quite how best to attribute the design 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, it is seemingly (briefly, almost to the point of curtness) described in the same breath with a chair (which is itself somewhat of a misnomer), all of which causes a little confusion! 

Of note is that this is the fourth of four Cairo tile themed furniture pieces from Beltá & Frajumar, under the same ‘Pent’ title, with others being a table (without legs), another, more lightweight table (what I title as a coffee table), and an ‘armchair’ (without arms!). Each of these is shown as a separate entry for the sake of clarity. 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 pouffe/ottoman is described rather briefly by both Dsignio (generically, in context with the table) 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 a table, armchair or pouffe/ottoman as below, which is oddly combined with an armchair:
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
4. Armchair and Ottoman in wood frame covered with 25 kg/m3 foam. Seating area in HR 35 kg/m3 soft foam. Important: indicate the colour of the decorative stitching required

Although dimensions are given, as a diagram, this is by far from clear, and so I thus refrain from trying to interpret their intentions. No 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, Bel& Frajumar, also does not know 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.

As ottomans and pouffes are although widely known, at least by name, perhaps the intricacies or the specifics of this piece of furniture are not so, and so below I give Cambridge Dictionary definitions. It appears that Pouffe is the generally used term in the UK (although ottoman is indeed used), whilst in the US ottoman is used.

Ottoman (US): an ottoman is a form of couch that usually has a head but no back, although sometimes it has neither. It may have square or semicircular ends, and as a rule it is what upholsterers call "overstuffed", meaning no wood is visible. It may be used as a stool, footstool or as an alternative to a sofa. Pouffe (UK): a soft, round or square seat with no back or sides, used for sitting on or resting your feet on.

Further, pouffe can be spelt differently, with pouf, pouff, and pouffe.

https://designdaily.in/the-very-versatile-pent-table-dsignio/ (no reference to the pouffe, but includes an interview with Dsignio) https://beltafrajumar.com/en/product/pent-pouff/

CARPETS

Carpet 1, Wetherspoon’s Public House, The Jolie Brise, UK
An instance of a carpet, at the Wetherspoon’s public house, The Jolie Brise, 9-15 Station Rd, Teignmouth, Devon, UK (an exact address is given for the mathematical tourist). Background details here of the Cairo tiling itself are essentially non-existent, although the details of the pub and chain are well documented. In short, every one of Wetherspoon’s 900+ pubs has a unique carpet, some drawing on the location, building and name. ‘The Jolie Brise’ was a gaff-rigged pilot cutter, of 1925. There is no obvious linkage or connection here. Jon Randall, Wetherspoon’s head of property development and acquisitions, states:
All of our new pub carpets are individually designed, some with details to reflect aspects of the buildings’ history or local area.

Likely this instance is thus wholly arbitrary. The pub opened in 2015, and so presumably the carpet was installed then. It is not entirely clear if this is in a single location; pictures scenes are shown for both the bar and dining room. Whether this is combined is unclear. The colouration, of two colours in a ‘bowtie’ configuration, is hard to describe, best described as a muted brown and blue and is outlined in white. Curiously, another instance of the same carpet can be seen on the Holland America Prinsendam ship, see next entry.

No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on Wetherspoon’s pages, both in general, and of the pub itself, 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, of which Randall states as to design matters:
... five or six in-house architects, who are each tasked to work on a new pub.

I did not contact Wetherspoon’s or The Jolie Brise itself, judged that from a non-commercial query to a major chain I would likely not receive a reply. 

Background Details

Wetherspoon
J D Wetherspoon plc (branded as Wetherspoon, commonly known as Spoons) is a pub company in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founded in 1979 by Tim Martin, the company operates nearly 900 pubs,  including the chain of Lloyds No.1 bars, and a growing number of Wetherspoon hotels. With its headquarters in Watford, Wetherspoon is known for converting unconventional yet attractive premises into pubs. The carpets are produced by Axminster Carpets and, having more than the usual six colours, have to be partially handmade on old fashioned looms, costing up to £30,000 – twice as much as stock designs. As an aside, for those interested, there is even a Facebook group for Wetherspoon carpets (with over 2,000 members), a few of which feature interesting geometric patterns, and a few tilings, including a houndstooth:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/113794066014429/

And furthermore, a book too, Spoon's Carpets: An Appreciation by Kit Caless, Square Peg, 2016
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spoons-Carpets-Appreciation-Kit-Caless/dp/1910931497

It is not known if The Jolie Brise is featured.

Jolie Brise
The Jolie Brise is a Wetherspoon pub that opened for business on 21 July 2015. The building was purpose-built as a supermarket in the 1970s. Previous to that it was the site of Sidney Croydon's Printing and Publishing Works.

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/devon/the-jolie-brise-teignmouth

See pictures 1, 6-9, and 20 (minor) of 29.

Carpet 2, Holland America Prinsendam ship, renamed the MS Amera
An instance of a carpet, onboard the Holland America Prinsendam ship, which was in 2018 renamed the MS Amera, although if the carpet still survives is unclear; the renaming coincided with a wholesale recent refurbishment. Background details here of the Cairo tiling installation itself are essentially non-existent, although the details of the ship are well documented, albeit mightily confusing; a series of company takeovers, subsidiaries and ship name changes (AM Amera is the fourth) all make research as next to impossible. Be all as it may, likely this instance is a wholly arbitrary choice of carpet. Quite when it was installed is unclear. The ship was built in 1988, and so this at least gives a lower bound. However, from the pictures, the carpet seems quite new, without visible signs of wear, and so it would appear much more recent, of the past few years, loosely stated. More exactly, the carpet, of an extensive nature, is in the ‘Explorers Lounge’, of which the name at least appears to have survived the refurbishment. The colouration, of two colours in a ‘bowtie’ configuration, is hard to describe, best described as a muted brown and blue and is outlined in white.

Of note is that the same carpet (and the additional geometric design) is to be seen at the Wetherspoon’s The Jolie Brise public house in Devon, UK, which opened in 2015 (see previous entry), and so presumably the carpet there was installed then, and so likely they are surmised broadly contemporary. What is known about the carpet, from The Jolie Brise sighting, is that it was made by the famous company Axminster Carpets Limited, of Devon, UK.

No mention of the connection, unsurprisingly, as to the Cairo association is made on MS Amera or Holland America Prinsendam pages. Whether this is still available from Axminster carpets is unclear. Of an initial search, I have not been able to find this on their site. It does not appear in their geometric section or shows up on pentagon searches. They have an extensive presence on Instagram, but again without success, although I did not reach the end of their extensive page before giving up! The situation is more than a little confused. Wetherspoon’s state that each of their carpets is a unique commission, woven by Axminster Carpets, although the carpet is clearly used here again! So whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown.

I did not contact MS Amera, the defunct Holland America Line or the Axminster Carpets Limited company, judged that from a non-commercial query to a shipping concern and major carpet company I would likely not receive a reply. 

Background Details
MS Amera
MS Amera (formerly Seabourn Sun, Royal Viking Sun and Prinsendam) is a cruise ship for Phoenix. She was launched in 1988 as Royal Viking Sun for the Royal Viking Line and was renamed Seabourn Sun when Seabourn Cruise Line acquired the ship in 1999. In 2002, Seabourn wished to concentrate on smaller vessels and transferred the ship to Holland America Line, which was renamed as Prinsendam.

https://www.rm-group.com/en/company/news/news-detail/extensive-refurbishment-ms-prinsendam-becomes-ms-amera.html

Holland America Line
Holland America Line is a British/American-owned cruise line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_America_Line

Acknowledgements
Frank Housholder, for drawing this sighting to my attention, of a pentagonal context.

The pentagons appear to be equilateral, or at least in intent; most are, whilst a few others, to the right of the avatar, are not. Likely, the artist here was simply careless. The colouration is of four pastel blues and white, seemingly coloured randomly. 

No mention, unsurprisingly, of the connection as to the Cairo association is made here, or the artist/designer, 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.

I did not contact Amazon, judged that for a non-commercial query to such a large company I would likely not receive a reply. 

Stencil Prints, by Andrew Theis
An instance of stencillings, by Andrew Theis, a computer programmer and artist of Seattle, US. Theis makes extensive use of the Cairo tiling in this work, so much so that a count is next to impossible; he must have hundreds of works (despite each print taking around an hour and a half)! Indeed, for the sheer number of unique instances, with colour variations on the theme, and with secondary aspects such as spirals and other configurations, he is by far the most numerous artist. These can be seen on his Tumblr page. However, it is not a particularly easy read, with so many posts, with other of his interests interspersing at times. Be all as it may, he states that his interest was piqued by seeing what I later established, upon correspondence, as a Jali:
I first saw this [Cairo pentagon tiling] pattern at my hometown art museum from a 16th century stone screen. I freehanded the basics of the pattern and then sketched it out formally on graph paper to understand how it was constructed.

However, despite the impression here of a 16th-century instance (and so of the utmost historical importance), this has to be qualified. Rather, the design is with a secondary, subsidiary pattern, often seen on Mughal Jalis (a perforated screen). Therefore, quite how best to interpret the Jali artist's intention is unclear. Strictly, this is not a Cairo tiling, but undoubtedly, the Cairo tiling is indeed seen among a ‘fused pentagon’ configuration. Indeed, Theis’s work, from 2013 onwards, largely follows this model.

Theis makes numerous references to the Cairo association and so the use of the Cairo tiling is here purposeful. The type of the pentagon (sides and angles) does not seem to be categorically stated. However, they appear to be equilateral.

Background
Little biographical detail is seemingly available. Although he has a LinkedIn ‘about’ page, this focuses on his art rather than himself. All that is available on him is as discussed as above.

https://andrewtheis-art.tumblr.com/
https://andrewtheis-art.tumblr.com/post/67020711483/i-dont-really-have-a-name-for-this-series-the
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-theis-4908b536

Entry 17 December 2019

Clothing 1 - Women's Jacket
An instance of a woman’s jacket, from Marks & Spencer, an upmarket UK brand that specialises in selling high-quality clothing, home products and food products. This is branded as ‘M&S Collection’, one of seven such brands. No other detail is given on the item itself, or a dedicated brand Marks & Spencer Wikipedia page. Researching this is problematical. The jacket was found by chance, in a charity shop, upon a more or less weekly Saturday pattern/tessellation hunt, as is my wont whilst ‘normal’ shopping. Therefore, the source is not able to be directly consulted, and the age is speculation, albeit likely not of the past few years, given the nature of the finding. However, it can hardly be ‘old’, loosely defined. Searching on Marks & Spencer’s website for women's coats and jackets, of which there is a dedicated section, of 167 items, was fruitless. Generally speaking, such geometric designs are uncommon in their range. I am uncertain as to if this includes only the most recent collections, of this year, or shows earlier years. Further, general searches, unsurprisingly, also proved fruitless, albeit I only paid lip service to this here, of just a few minutes searching, judged highly unlikely that I would find this.

I did not contact Marks & Spencer, judged that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, of a non-commercial query, compounded by a lack of any real detail to assist in the matter. 

Of note here is the presentation of the pentagons, of which at first glance the Cairo tiling is not readily clear; indeed, I had to do a double-take to convince myself! Simply stated, the pentagons have been in effect heavily outlined, resulting in each pentagon being in ‘isolation’. However, to me at least, the source is indeed a Cairo tiling.

First saw (in shop) 21 December 2019. Entry 30 December 2019

Laurel and Hardy in 'Our Relations', Bedsheet
An instance of a bed sheet or blanket, of a Laurel and Hardy movie still taken from ‘Our Relations’, of 1936, in which they are talking in bed (one of many such instances in their films), albeit more accurately it can be described as a ‘near miss’ as it is not strictly a Cairo tiling. More exactly, this can be seen to be of the related bow tie tiling, in which the centre has a ‘division’ of sorts, albeit not joining the vertices to form a true Cairo tiling, hence a ‘near miss’. Nonetheless, the impression is indeed of a Cairo tiling, and so is thus included here. To the best of my knowledge, there are no other appearances of the sheet/blanket in any of their other films. 

Incidentally, this was a chance finding, of an oversized poster whilst I was idly browsing at a local antique/collectors shop. I distinctly recall my excitement when my eyes alighted on it i.e. with a celebrity association, as well as a good age, albeit soon tempered upon closer inspection! Incidentally, Laurel and Hardy are among my favourite comedians.

Background to the movie
In Our Relations, Stan and Ollie are respectable citizens with wives and steady employment. It is their seafaring twin brothers, Alf Laurel and Bert Hardy, who are dim-witted incompetents sailors aboard the S.S Periwinkle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xj6WsZkZ44
The scene featuring the bedsheet/blanket is at 40.27-42.02. It is always portrayed peripherally and is essentially static, save for the last few seconds when it is moved, albeit of an insignificant nature.

First saw (in collectibles shop) c. 7 March 2017. Entry 31 December 2019

Equilateral Pentagonal Prism, Donald G. Wood, Space Enclosure Systems
An instance of an ‘equilateral pentagonal prism tiling’ by Donald G. Wood (1922-2011), a professor of industrial design in the School of Art at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, US. This is pictured as an artefact in Space Enclosure Systems, Bulletin 203* in that context, and is dated c. 1968, from the date of publication. It is discussed and illustrated in two places, pp. 3-4, 30-31, and of which Wood explicitly credits Percy MacMahon in New Mathematical Pastimes and H. M. Cundy and A. P. Rollett in Mathematical Models (who also credit MacMahon for their image) as the equilateral pentagon source, with the ‘extension’ of a prism seemingly his (Woods) idea.

Figure 27. Pentagonal prism packing formation. This pentagonal prism has not been found in the literature and is assumed to be presented here for the first time. The pentagonal face derives from a known net pattern, as indicated elsewhere [pp. 3-4]. The cell space and packing formation certainly imply an architectural space enclosure system and represents an interesting alternative to the cube or hexagonal prism shapes for this application.

What exactly is the function, purpose or premise of the ‘Engineering Experiment Station’ (EES), is not clear. Details are essentially non-existent. That said, it appears to be from a range of scientific disciplines, from the small number of bulletin covers I am aware of. This is despite the EES having a Facebook page, of which nothing is given about them! However, from this, it still seems to exist. The best that can be gleaned, from a dead link, is:

The board of trustees of the Ohio state university shall establish an organization to be known as the "engineering experiment station of the Ohio state university," ...

Wood, concerning Fig. 3 on p. 4, makes a curious observation as regards tilings with equal-length sides, pp. 4-6, with the (later to be known) Cairo equilateral tiling being one of five such instances of a series or sequence, namely the equilateral triangle, square, Cairo equilateral pentagon, hexagon, rhomb; as such, I do not recall seeing this simple observation elsewhere. Is this significant?

As the Bulletin, perhaps more properly described as a booklet, predates the first known reference to the Cairo tiling by James Dunn in 1971, naturally no reference is made to the Cairo tiling in the book. Curiously, the bulletin is not dated, but from elsewhere is dated 1967 or 1968. The work is seemingly little known, which only occasional references, such as by Goldberg and Williams, below.

Another curiosity here is of the nature of the Bulletin. The indications here, of Nos. 203 and 205, are of a series, but if so, then the other numbered issues are not readily found! (Or at least an initial look; judged appropriate in terms of time expanded. Another, unrelated to Wood’s instance is ‘Fluoride Investigations’, No. 76. But I very much doubt that even with a more extensive search these would be found. For what it is worth, the Bulletin ran from 1906-1983.

Open questions abound here. Did he do anything further with the Cairo equilateral pentagon, and indeed of his ‘space enclosure systems’ in general? The two bulletins are his only known publications.

*The publication is titled as a Bulletin, of which I consider somewhat of a misnomer, at least by a UK definition or standards, of which to me is a short piece of writing of just one, two, or three pages. In contrast, this is a 52-page publication, which is to me better described as a booklet. Cambridge English Dictionary defines bulletin as: 

A short piece of news on television or radio, or a short report or news item released by an organization.

A 52-page publication to me contradicts this! Be all as it may, for the sake of consistency I refer to the publication as a Bulletin throughout, although perhaps better titled as a booklet or book.

Background (excerpted from an obituary on Legacy.com, of which aside from brief details in the Bulletin, is the only story of his life! However, this at least does him full, and deserving, justice).
Donald Gilbert Wood passed away in his sleep on September 22, 2011 at First Community Village in Columbus. He was 88 years old. His beloved wife, Martha Adams Wood, had passed away five days earlier in the same room at First Community Village. Don was born in Columbus on October 31, 1922, the son of Homer E. Wood and Florence Berlew Wood. Don spent 30 years teaching at Ohio State. Don was a professor in the Department of Industrial Design, College of the Arts, at Ohio State starting in 1948 and was acting director for four years. He was also a potter and a freelance artist, designing furniture and displays for the OSU campus. He received numerous awards at local, state and national art competitions. He was art director of "Ceramics Monthly" magazine and wrote articles on pottery design and techniques. Don also did design work for the Ohio Historical Society and was on the board of directors of the Columbus Museum of Art. He was a design consultant for Nationwide Insurance of Columbus. Don was chairman of the Professional Design Area of the School of Fine and Applied Arts at Ohio State. He taught industrial design and was part of a research program in the Building Research Laboratory at Ohio State. The author of several articles for professional journals, Don also wrote two books on the design of space enclosure systems. Don retired from Ohio State in 1978 after three decades as a professor and designer. He was named Professor Emeritus in the Department of Industrial, Interior, and Visual Communication Design. Don was active in the Second Church of Christ, Scientist in Columbus, serving numerous terms as reader and supporting the church in administration.

Brief background details on Wood in the publication. Aside from his university affiliation, it states:
Wood has been a consultant art director and has marketed a tubular steel painting easel. An award-winning ceramic design artist, he is on the editorial  staff of “Ceramics Monthly Magazine”. He is a free-lance designer of exhibition structures and partitioning systems.

References
Wood, Donald G. Space Enclosure Systems. Identification and Documentation of Cell Geometries. Bulletin 203, Engineering Experiment Station, The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio. 52 pp. No publication date is given, although it is dated elsewhere as 1967 or 1968 (Google gives 1968, * gives 1967) 

Wood, D. G. Space Enclosure Systems. The Variables of Cell Packing Design. Bulletin 205, 1968, 59 pp. NOT SEEN

Publications in which Space Enclosure Systems Bulletins of 203 and 205 of which Wood is mentioned/referenced, albeit somewhat peripheral to the investigation!:

Gabriel, Jean-François editor. Beyond the Cube: The Architecture of Space Frames and Polyhedra.
(quotes the related Bulletin 205) John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1997. NOT SEEN

Goldberg, Michael. ‘The Space-Filling Pentahedra’. Journal of Combinatorial Theory (A) 13 437-443, 1972. Quotes Wood (p. 437-438, and incidentally Williams too) in Bulletins 203 and 205.

Loeb, Arthur L. Space Structures. Their Harmony and Counterpoint. Springer, 1976 (NOT SEEN)

Williams, Robert. The Geometrical Foundation of Natural Structure. A Source Book of Design. Dover Publications, Inc. 1979. See p. 43 for Woods reference, as a footnote.expanded. Another, unrelated  to Wood instance is Fluoride Investigations, No. 76. But I very much doubt that even with a more extensive search these would be found. For what it is worth, the Bulletin ran from 1906-1983.

New Entry 2 January 2020. N.B. Although added to the Cairo ‘As Miscellaneous’ page as a ‘new entry’ this is not a new finding as such, as I was aware of the reference many years ago, of which I obtained the Bulletin on 11 December 2012. Rather this was discussed essentially in passing, on my ‘References’ and ‘Where is’ pages, but not effectively as an in-depth piece of writing as here.

SCULPTURE

Sculpture
As such, the term sculpture appears to embody a much wider range of descriptions than I first thought. My own view was typically of Michelangelo's David, and of which the inclusion of these two entries here do not to me typically fit the bill. To this end, I thus looked up the term. Encyclopedia Britannica gives:

Sculpture, an artistic form in which hard or plastic materials are worked into three-dimensional art objects. The designs may be embodied in freestanding objects, in reliefs on surfaces, or in environments ranging from tableaux to contexts that envelop the spectator. An enormous variety of media may be used, including clay, wax, stone, metal, fabric, glass, wood, plaster, rubber, and random “found” objects. Materials may be carved, modeled, molded, cast, wrought, welded, sewn, assembled, or otherwise shaped and

Sculpture is not a fixed term that applies to a permanently circumscribed category of objects or sets of activities. It is, rather, the name of an art that grows and changes and is continually extending the range of its activities and evolving new kinds of objects. The scope of the term was much wider in the second half of the 20th century than it had been only two or three decades before, and in the fluid state of the visual arts at the turn of the 21st century nobody can predict what its future extensions are likely to be.

I still have reservations here, but have decided to include as described by the artists.

Sculpture 1, by Bojan Šarčević
Bojan Šarčević, of Belgrade, Serbia, is a renowned visual artist, who has exhibited widely internationally since 1998. He has used the Cairo tiling as an onyx sculpture in a solo exhibition titled ‘Gyrobifastigium’, at the ‘Modern Art’ gallery (owned by Stuart Shave), in London, 2013. 

Mention of the city association is made on the press releases (the first erroneously as to the tiling being ancient):
[1] In another room, a large and flat slab of polished onyx has been cut and reassembled from tessellating pentagonal pieces according to a pattern known as ​‘Cairo’, after the ancient paving pattern found on that city’s streets.
[2] The pattern is drawn from a tessellation known as the Cairo pentagonal, named for a paving pattern in common use in the city.

Therefore, the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful. Curiously, the exhibit, unlike his others, can be said to be maths-themed, with the title polyhedra related, namely ‘Gyrobifastigium’, a somewhat obscure term, which is the 26th Johnson solid (which even I had to look up!). This at least presupposes some degree of mathematical interest. However, it is unclear as to what, if to any great extent, Šarčević’s interest in mathematics. No reference is made to mathematics in his background. I suspect he merely ‘borrowed’ some mathematical terms for his work here, possibly with the intention of ‘impressing’ the art world, but without any real interest in the subject. I may even be doing him a disservice here, but without more detail, this is a fair supposition.

Be all as it may, the Cairo tiling work is simply titled ‘Cairo’, as single elements reassembled, cut into a large and flat slab of polished onyx, measuring 2 centimetres thick, almost 1.5 metres wide, and 3 metres tall. It is discussed in inflated talk typical of the art world.

Although it would have been interesting to hear more from Šarčević himself on this, and clarify outstanding issues, as his contact details are not readily available I did not pursue this further. 

Background Details
Bojan Šarčević (born 1974) is a visual artist. His work includes video, installations, site-responsive architectural interventions, photographic collage, more or less abstract sculpture, and printed publications.

[1] https://modernart.net/exhibitions/bojan-%C5%A1ar%C4%8Devi%C4%87-gyrobifastigium/press-release

[2] https://nicholasdeklerk.com/Bojan-Sarcevic-Gyrobifastigium (focusses on the Cairo work, somewhat negatively, of an independent reviewer)

Entry 20 January 2020

Sculpture 2, Doug DaFoe
Doug DaFoe, of Santa Barbara, California, US, describes himself as a (retired) cabinet maker and general contractor. He has used the Cairo tiling as a wall sculpture in wood, titled ‘Cairo I’. This is one of many like tessellation works in wood, albeit, despite the title, implying more instances, this is seemingly the only Cairo tile instance. He markets these sculptures on various online outlets, including Decaso (decorative art objects), Silo (art gallery) and Deringhall (interior decor). He does not appear to have a website or a presence on social media.

As mention is made of the association in the title, the use of the Cairo tiling is thus purposeful. This at least presupposes some degree of mathematical interest. However, it is unclear as to what, if to any extent, DaFoe’s interest is in mathematics. No reference is made to mathematics in his background. Beyond the title, there is little more detail given as to the Cairo tiling itself. This is ‘best’ described on the Decaso site, albeit this is just bare-bones detail, of merely of the size (45.5ʺW × 1.5ʺD × 57.5ʺH), date (the 2010s), material (wood) and price ($6,500), and not a discussion of the work itself. Silo gives an artist biography, but no reference is made to the tiling.

Although it would have been interesting to hear more from DaFoe himself on this, and clarify outstanding issues, as his contact details are not readily available I did not pursue this further. 

Background Details (From Silo)

Doug DaFoe describes his work as “three-dimensional tessellations in wood and paint.” Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, Doug had a 40-year career as a cabinet maker and general contractor. While developing his craft, Doug became fascinated with and studied midcentury modern architecture and furniture, appreciating the precise attention to detail that gave each piece its clean yet inviting form. After he retired from work as a builder, he was able to spend more time developing and exploring an artistic approach to his woodworking skills. Delving into the play of light and color, shapes and dimensions, angles and proportions, he creates pieces of art that marry all these facets. Doing this, he learned that each piece has its own life and expression, and conveys more than he thought it could. This fascination is what drives him into the studio every morning to work all day with wood, paint, and proportions.

https://www.silo118.com/doug-dafoe (artist sculptures and biography)
https://www.decaso.com/product/1982408/doug-dafoe-cairo-i-wall-sculpture (Cairo tiling details)

Entry 21 January 2020

Rinus Roelofs, Colour and Interlacing Sculptures
Rinus Roelofs, of Hengelo, the Netherlands, is a mathematically inclined artist, a ‘digital sculptor’, who has used the Cairo tiling in various ways in his work, specifically of interlacing (primarily) and colouring (secondary). This is both explicitly, by the association with Cairo, and not, in which the source is Escher's related drawing 133, of ‘interlacing Cairo hexagons’ duly credited. His work in general mostly involves interlacing lattice structures. Four Cairo references are discerned (mostly without the association), three in print, and one on his website, with the titles given below, to which I add brief commentary, with bibliographical detail in the references. In chronological order:

1. 1998. ‘Tegels kleuren’. (Tiles colours)
In the context of colouring per se, involving multiple colours. Here the association with Cairo is made, and incidentally for the only time.

2. 2005. ‘Not the Tiles, but the Joints: A little Bridge between M.C. Escher and Leonardo da Vinci’.
In the context of interlacing lattice structures, with Escher’s drawing 133 redrawn, but without the Cairo association. 

3. 2008. ‘Connected Holes’.
Largely in the same vein as with ‘Not the tiles’, at least in appearance. Again, Escher’s drawing 133 is redrawn, but without the Cairo association. 

4. The tiling also appears on his website, the dual of 33334, as an ‘elevation’. 

From the above, two distinct aspects are discerned, colouring and interlacing. Both are interesting. The colouring aspect is a discussion on the use of up to six colours. Interlacing is discussed in relation to Escher’s drawing 133, as a three-dimensional computer derived sculpture.

Given Roelofs’s undoubted interest, I emailed him in August 2018 for further observations, but he did not respond.

He has a pleasing, easily navigable website, but is not searchable. On social media, he has an extensive presence on Facebook, with many photos more conveniently accessible en masse than on the website, but not elsewhere.

Biography (from arsmathematica.org)
Rinus Roelofs was born in 1954. After studying Applied Mathemathics at the Technical University of Enschede, he took a degree from the Enschede Art Academy with a specialization in sculpture. His commissions come largely from municipalities, institutions and companies in the Netherlands, but his work has been exhibited further afield, including in Rome as part of the Escher Centennial celebrations in 1998.

References

[1] ‘Tegels kleuren’ (Tiles colours) in Pythagoras, April 1998, pp. 22-23. In Dutch.
The Cairo tiling features as the main premise, on aspects of colouring. The article was part of a special issue dedicated to Escher, to mark his 100th birth anniversary.

[2] ‘Not the Tiles, but the Joints: A little Bridge between M. C. Escher and Leonardo da Vinci’. In M. C. Escher’s Legacy. A Centennial Celebration. Springer 2005, pp. 252-264.
Cairo related pp. 253-254. Refers to Escher’s periodic drawing 133, but not the Cairo tiling by name.

[3] ‘Connected Holes’. In Bridges Leeuwarden. Mathematical Connections in Art, Music, and  Science, 2008, pp. 29-38.
Cairo tiling based (but not stated) on Escher’s (interlacing) drawing 133, pp. 29, 32-33 (p. 33 is wrongly captioned as to the underlying tiling ‘dual of 43433’). 

http://www.rinusroelofs.nl/
https://www.arsmathematica.org/is2003/3dsc/rinus_roelofs.htm (Biography)
http://www.rinusroelofs.nl/projects/elevation-2d/pr-elev-2d-a05.html (‘Elevation’)
https://archive.bridgesmathart.org/2008/bridges2008-29.pdf (Bridges 2008)
https://pyth.eu/uploads/user/ArchiefPDF/Pyth37-4.pdf (‘Tegels kleuren’ article)

Entry 23 January 2020

Torus, 3D Printed, by Kenneth Peel
An instance of a 3D printed torus, titled ‘Cairo Torus’, of 2016, of a Leonardo da Vinci/Luca Pacioli-style polyhedra open framework by Kenneth Peel, a junior at Western Washington University, US, in the electrical engineering program. I might just add that I am a newcomer to 3D printing so much of the nuances of technical matters (coding) here is outside my field of expertise.

This is described as:
Cairo pentagonal tiling of pentagons projected onto the surface of a torus.

As Peel directly refers to the tiling in the title and description he is obviously aware of the Cairo association. Upon asking for more details, he told me in a 21 February 2017 message he became aware of Cairo tiling in and based it on the (incorrect) Wikipedia entry, of the dual of the 3.4.3.3.4 semi-regular tiling.

Therefore, the use of the Cairo tiling is here purposeful. Other instances of polyhedra can be seen in a like manner on his Thingiverse page.

 Peel mainly promotes his work mostly on Thingiverse, the world leading design community for discovering, making, and sharing 3D printable things. Somewhat unusually, he does not appear to have a website or an extensive presence on social media, being just on Facebook.

Biography (excerpted from his Thingiverse ‘about’ page and added to from Facebook)
Kenneth Peel (1983- ) is a junior at Western Washington University in the electrical engineering program. He has an associate in science from Whatcom Community College. He has interests in parametric curves and polyhedra.

 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2001922 (Peel’s Thingiverse page on the Cairo tiling, with instructions for 3D printing)

 Original entry 23 February 2017, of essentially just a single line, excluding two captions with links. 

Revised and greatly expanded 6 February 2020.

3 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. 

Furthermore, the original page at the top has an in effect note added 'under reconstruction', of 6 December 2019+, which preceded today's reappraisal.  Even back then,  it was trying to bring to order with the many additions and movements of material thereof, and of which was put off. 

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 to the site somewhere as an 'as' category.

2015

Tamara Bistro Restaurant added 11 December.

2017

Marquetry, by Helio and Co, London, UK text added 31 October.

Laminam Star Maker, Mac Stopa, Poland, text, pictures and links added 11 October (new entry).

Pouffe, Patricia Lascano, Argentina, text, pictures and links added 15 October (new entry).

Carpet, The Jolie Brise, UK, text, pictures and links added 22 October (new entry)

Carpet, Holland America Prinsendam ship, text, pictures and links added 23 October (new entry).

Towel, Royalton Negril Hotel, Jamaica, text, picture and links added 24 October (new entry).

'Conceptual Spatial Puzzle', Mark Cabrinha, text, pictures and links added 7 November (new entry).

‘Interior Décor', Inamo Restaurant, St. James, UK, text, pictures and links added 12 November. Originally on Architecture page, 2015, revised, expanded and corrected.

Bar, Chutney Mary Indian Restaurant, UK, text, pictures and links added 13 November (new entry).

3D Wall Panel and Light Box, of individual entries, Outer Art Co, text, picture and links added 14 November (new entries).

Pentagon Pen (display packaging), Elephant & Coral, Singapore. Text, picture and link added 12 December (new entry).

Drapery, by Softline Home Fashions Inc., of the US. Text, picture and links added 16 December (new entry).

Decorative Pillows, by Softline Home Fashions Inc., of the US. Text, picture and links added 16 December (although not strictly a new entry, is effectively so, replacing a risible two-line entry of January 2016, of Macy's.

Clothing - Woman’s jacket, from Marks & Spencer, UK. Text and pictures added 30 December (new entry).

Laurel and Hardy, Bedsheet/Blanket. Text, links and pictures added 31 December (new entry).

2020

Pentagonal Prism Packing Formation by Donald G. Wood, in Space Enclosure Systems. Text, links and pictures added 2 January (new entry).

Screen Dividers, at Shinsegae’s Gangnam Store/Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates. Text and links added 16 January (new entry).

Sculpture, by Bojan Šarčević. Text, links and picture added 20 January (new entry).

People - M. C. Escher. Text and links added 22 January (new entry).

People - Rinus Roelofs. Text and links added 23 January (new entry).

Acoustic Wall, titled 'Pentagon', by Kamilla Lang Hermansen. Text and links added 31 January. Cairo Tiling (revised and greatly expanded of an entry originally of 16 November 2017).

Torus, 3D printed, by Kenneth Peel. Text 6 February (revised and greatly expanded of an entry originally of 23 February 2017).

Page created as a subset of the Cairo tiling ('As Miscellaneous 2') of 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.