Wei Xiang elected to use a combination of hard maple of different thicknesses for the shell to achieve the ‘crinkled’ effect, and red oak for the curved shelves inside. For the craftsmen at Fowseng, the primary concern was whether the structure would be strong enough. ‘The only way to prevent any distortion was, to seal the pieces to prevent moisture getting in and the wood moving after the shaping was done by the CNC machine. Then it went straight into assembly. Once the pieces are bound together like a box, stability is achieved,’ explains the technical manager.