Meet our designer: Thor ter Kulve
Thor ter Kulve is a Dutch designer based in London. He studied Design Products at the Royal College of Art in London. In his designs he focusses on ways to make self-sufficient and sustainable living in an urban environment possible and easily accessible. “Most of my energy in my work as a designer comes from thinking about solutions to concrete problems,” says Thor.
His work consists of designing products that evolve natural or civil typologies into functional tools, furniture and solutions. “The Carrier arose from a project with a fellow designer in which we documented my daily life on my residential boat. Any problems I’d face, we tried to solve by creating solutions and prototypes. The Carrier was one of them.” Next to solving problems, Thor’s daily goal is to challenge public spaces and to transform them into playgrounds. He gives new insight to public domain.
“The Swing is the ultimate way of experiencing freedom”
Ter Kulve and Weltevree both share the vision that new possibilities originate in outdoor spaces. His mobile ‘Swing’ is a perfect example of the way Ter Kulve’s designs give the user the ability to make a public space his own, to turn any ordinary lamppost or tree into a playground. Thor: “The Swing is the ultimate way of experiencing freedom”. It is the embodiment of playing with nature. The Swing has been rewarded with the Rabo Burgemeester de Bruin Prize, the cultural incentive prize for artists at the start of their career. The Serious Swing is also a design by Thor ter Kulve.
The Carrier by Thor ter Kulve is a multifunctional piece of furniture. Thor: “It is ideal for easily transporting firewood from the deck of my boat to my wood-burning stove inside. At the same time it doesn’t take any unnecessary space: you can sit on it and underneath the seat is plenty of storage space.”
