Janjaap Ruijssenaars, a Dutch architect, created a magnetic floating bed that would allow you to sleep in a bed that is floating in mid-air.
Janjaap challenged himself to step away from the power of gravity, starting with refrigerator magnets and home-made models with ceramic magnets to test the first idea, to finally create the world’s floating bed.
It was estimated at just £119,999 for only a scale model). The exact model would cost about £1,240,245, now why would I want a floating bed? And would it sort of float away? And the ultimate question would be – does standard electric power it? What happens if there is a sudden blackout during the night?
Constructed of permanent magnetic material, the bed levitates through the power of opposing magnets. No electricity is required to keep it floating. Magnets placed in the bed push away from magnets beneath the floor, causing the bed to levitate.
Janjaap was also exhibiting a smaller version at the Millionaire Fair in Kortrijk that goes for a more affordable £118,000; at 1/5th the size of the regular model.
Janjaap saw that gravity was the fundamental factor that unites all architectural and design decisions on Earth.
“No matter where you live, all architecture is dictated by gravity. I wondered whether you could make an object, a building or a piece of furniture where this is not the case — where another power dictates the image,”
Janjaap Ruijssenaars
The bed has been designed to resemble the Monolith from Kubrick’s movie ‘2001 A Space Odyssey’.
Seven years went into the development process of the permanent, non-degrading magnetic support system for this £1.2m bed. The frame itself is a simple rectilinear board, painted black, that appears to float.
If you are going to spend a 3rd of your life lying on something, you might as well make it something beautiful. As it can hold up over fifteen hundred pounds, well, the weight will not pose a problem for most people.
How is this floating magnetic bed so radically different from a regular bed – or a hanging, water or other speciality sleepers? And what is it about that experience that makes the design worth so much? Perhaps it is just another toy for the rich, but who knows as technology develops maybe it will be a trend ten years from now.