Munich-based design studio Formfeld, led by computational architect Simon Vorhammer, is redefining how architecture interacts with its audience. By combining algorithmically generated surfaces with carefully calculated light and reflection effects, Formfeld creates walls that engage viewers in subtle, almost magical ways. As visitors move past, reflections, fragmented images, and logos appear and fade, establishing a dynamic dialogue between the observer and the space. “We design structures that integrate the viewer’s position,” explains Vorhammer, “so the wall is never static—it responds to you.”
Each Formfeld wall begins with a custom algorithm, allowing the studio to control complex geometries with precision. A striking example is the Blickfeld trade fair booth at CES 2020, featuring a back wall of 220 folded mirrored Alucobond elements. The orientation of each fold was calculated to fragment and reassemble visitors’ reflections along their path, translating Blickfeld’s 3D scanning technology into an interactive visual experience. The mirrored surfaces make the observer an integral part of the design, turning movement into art.
At Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Formfeld took this concept further with a 3.5 by 3.5-meter room divider in the APEX Athlete Services area. Composed of roughly 10,000 CNC-milled beech plywood facets, the relief displays a grayscale portrait of Adi Dassler. From a distance, the image is fully legible, while up close, it dissolves into a finely textured landscape of light and shadow. Small perforations within the relief house hidden light sources that reveal the Adidas logo only when viewed from the right angle, emphasizing the analogue interplay between space, surface, and human movement.
Formfeld’s work balances subtlety and spectacle. The surfaces are at once unobtrusive and captivating, drawing viewers in through movement, angle, and attention. The interplay of geometry, reflection, and light creates experiences that shift depending on perception, offering a tactile, visual, and spatial narrative unique to each visitor.
Simon Vorhammer, who co-leads beckh & vorhammer with Prof. Matthias Beckh, founded Formfeld to explore algorithmic design in architecture. His work connects computational planning, structural analysis, and fabrication with digital aesthetics. Beyond walls, he has applied parametric design principles to 3D-printed jewelry through his label Sian and has taught at institutions including TU Munich, the University of Sydney, and Hochschule Biberach.
Formfeld installations, from trade fair booths to architectural interiors, demonstrate a new vision of responsive, immersive design—where walls are no longer passive structures, but living surfaces that engage, reflect, and transform along with the viewer. Completion of the Adidas APEX installation was achieved in August 2025, marking the latest milestone in Formfeld’s ongoing exploration of movement, light, and perception.