BEYOND OBJECT: Time, Form, and the Art of Function

In a world of mass-produced sameness, Beyond Object stands quietly apart. Founded in London by designer Hanhsi Chen, the studio approaches everyday objects as if they were small pieces of architecture: works that can be lived with, touched, and understood over time. What began as an experiment in bridging the poetic and the practical has evolved into one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary design.

The brand’s philosophy is simple yet radical: function can be art. A pen, a clock, or a desktop accessory should not only serve a purpose but also awaken emotion. Each piece from Beyond Object is conceived as a functional sculpture, balancing precision engineering with an almost meditative calm. “We design objects that invite a second look,” says Chen. “The moment of realization, when you understand how something works, is when design becomes alive.”

That sense of discovery first drew attention in 2013, when Chen’s experimental lighting project Ripple won the Design Report Award at Salone del Mobile Milano. The piece was later licensed to Viennese crystal house J.&L. Lobmeyr, setting the stage for the creation of Beyond Object the following year. Since then, the studio has presented collections at Maison & Objet, ICFF, Design Junction, and Ambiente, and its works sold at Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Luminaire, Cibone, and Tsutaya Books.

Among Beyond Object’s growing family of designs, the Silo Clock has become the brand’s signature. At first glance, it reads as a minimalist sculpture: two precisely machined shapes paired with a circular face, their forms so pure they seem to float. Only when time begins to move does the viewer realize that these shapes are, in fact, the hour and minute hands, orbiting in silence.

Deceptively simple, Silo is the distillation of Beyond Object’s design ethos: clarity without compromise, beauty revealed through function. Each clock is machined, polished, and finished by hand in carefully chosen materials, from anodized aluminum to coated steel, and assembled around a silent German-made movement. The result is an object that tells time almost as a side effect; its true purpose is to create presence.

“We wanted to design something that would feel timeless, not just tell time,” Chen explains. “A piece that transforms a wall the way a sculpture transforms a gallery.”

Beyond Object’s work sits at the intersection of art, industrial craft, and emotion. Every product begins with a sculptural form rather than a technical sketch, a process that allows ideas to emerge from intuition before function is refined. That approach has led to collaborations with Alcantara S.p.A. for an installation at MAXXI Museum in Rome, as well as commissions for Wallpaper* Handmade and numerous bespoke corporate projects.

While many brands chase novelty, Beyond Object pursues meaning, a continuity between form, material, and experience. The team treats metal not as an industrial medium but as something poetic: cool, precise, capable of holding light like water. Their pieces feel simultaneously modern and human, perfectly aligned with a generation that seeks calm design amid visual overload.

There is an unmistakable quiet confidence to Beyond Object’s creations. They don’t demand attention; they reward it. The Silo Clock, for example, has found its way into homes and studios across the world not as a gadget but as a conversation piece, a way of slowing down. In an age where everything is designed to be fast, loud, and fleeting, Beyond Object reminds us that time itself can be beautiful.

As the brand continues to evolve, new materials and typologies are being explored, including furniture, lighting, and collectible editions that expand on the same sculptural language. Yet the mission remains unchanged: to craft objects that make us look again at the familiar.

From a small London studio to displays in global concept stores and museum showcases, Beyond Object proves that design can be both intellectual and emotional, both rational and romantic. It can challenge the way we perceive everyday life: one silent, revolving moment at a time.

more. www.beyond-object.com