EYEWEAR DESIGN
My journey with eyewear design began in 1989, during my early years in architecture — a discipline that still informs my approach today.
I believe a frame is more than an accessory; it’s a small piece of architecture for the face, balancing structure, proportion, and individuality.
Over the years, I have collaborated with a wide range of companies, supporting projects from the initial idea to fully realized collections.
Each collection, to me, tells its own story — shaped by careful design, thoughtful material choices, and a deep understanding of manufacturing processes.
My work includes the development of design concepts, selection and consulting on materials, and the sourcing of components.
When standard solutions are not sufficient, I support the development of bespoke components in close cooperation with trusted manufacturers.
In addition to frame design, I offer guidance on advanced surface treatments — from classic galvanic finishes to
Physical Vapor Deposition also known as ion plating — as well as color coatings, special lacquers, surface treatments and innovative material applications.
With a focus on craftsmanship and feasibility, I aim to create eyewear that not only stands out aesthetically but is built to endure.
The following projects offer a brief insight into my work. Some date back far enough that the visual records may no longer meet today’s technical standards — but the further back you go, the more these projects take on a quiet, almost archival quality. They remain important milestones, both for myself and the clients I was privileged to work with.
The projects shown here cover a broad timespan and are arranged without a specific order. They offer just a small glimpse into the range and evolution of my work.
Should you wish to learn more, I’m happy to share additional details in a personal conversation.
NEON BERLIN
NEON Berlin – Lightweight Precision, Additively Realised.
With its ultra-thin 3D-printed front and finely tuned titanium temples, NEON Berlin introduced a new standard in contemporary eyewear: minimal, iconic, and remarkably light.
At the time of its launch, this was among the first collections to realise such delicate geometries through additive manufacturing — not as an experiment,
but as a fully resolved series ready for the market.
What sets NEON apart is its quiet radicality: every curve, hinge and interface reflects an underlying logic of precision, ease of assembly, and visual clarity.
Each frame is reduced to its essentials — yet the collection retains a strong formal presence.
This design-forward approach, paired with outstanding comfort and modularity, made NEON Berlin a reference point for future-facing eyewear —
and a quiet tribute to what becomes possible when new tools meet timeless restraint.
BARCELUNETTES
Kaleidoscope introduces a new level of refinement in titanium eyewear —
delicate in appearance, yet thoughtfully engineered. Each rim is formed from a specially developed grooved facetted titanium wire, resulting in an ultra-thin front profile
of just 0.45/0.8 mm. At the same time, the 3.5 mm depth provides exceptional stability and allows for strong prescriptions, making the frames as functional as they are expressive.
The inner faceting of the rim follows the V-shaped contour of the lenses, giving each model a distinct lightness and optical clarity. What appears almost weightless from the front reveals sculptural depth from the side — creating subtle shifts in perception with every movement.
A refined nosepad design adds a final layer of detail: the Barcelunettes emblem, surrounded by concentric micro-grooves, looking almost like a fingerprint —
softly adhering to the skin
while directing moisture away. A quiet solution that makes all the difference.
https://barcelunettes.com
FMHE
The MARS 3D Eyewear Collection — a technical study in form, function, and fabrication.
This collection was among the first to integrate fully 3D-printed frames and hinges — produced entirely without traditional screws. Combining titanium and polyamide, the design introduces a new kind of construction logic: lightweight, self-contained, and fully additive.
Side shields and surface textures are not added on, but part of the form itself — grown into the object, not applied. Each detail reflects a clear design intention and a willingness to rethink conventions from the ground up.
Originally developed in 2017, the collection remains a quiet milestone: a project that explores new territory — and sees it through, all the way into production.
BARCELUNETTES
VAGUES is a study in transparency and depth — a limited series crafted from highly transparent, almost glass-like custom 12 mm bioacetate with a gradient tone that subtly changes from the lighter color in the front to the deeper hue in the back. The wave pattern, which gives the collection its name, is not milled but permanently heat-impressed into the rear surfaces of each frame. The result is both tactile and visual: a texture that becomes kinetic through the motion of the wearer’s head and the refraction of light.
On the temples, the same wave motif continues on the galvanically plated, polished metal core. Achieving the perfect alignment between the inner metal structure and the visible acetate shell — which alone creates the effect — requires a complex bespoke manufacturing process. From the outside, prism-cut temple surfaces refract the wave lines below —
creating a delicate ripple effect, as if the sea itself were moving beneath the surface.
The technical detailing includes a 7-barrel custom titanium hinge, embossed on both sides with logo and wordmark —
a small but complex element that reflects the brand’s insistence on precision.
https://barcelunettes.com
COBLENS, Collection LUNAPARK, 2014
COBLENS – Lunapark Collection, 2014
A celebration of craftsmanship and optical precision, the Lunapark collection by COBLENS explores the interplay of light and transparency. The frame, crafted from premium, high-clarity acetate, is hand-polished to an almost glass-like finish — allowing light to pass through and reflect in subtle, shifting tones.
Distinctive to this design is the upper brow line: carefully faceted with a series of linear cuts that recall crystalline structures. These refined ridges lend the frame a sculptural presence, creating prismatic highlights as the wearer moves. Form and function meet in a composition that is both technically exacting and quietly expressive.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOBIAS SCHULT
https://tobiasschult.com/
ONE830
1830 — Lightweight Tradition, Reimagined
Named after the founding year of the historic Metzler house, 1830 is a younger sublabel that speaks to a new generation — informed by heritage, yet firmly focused on the present.
Its name is a subtle play of numbers and letters: the “ONE” formed by the first three characters, with the mirrored “3” as a nod to graphic duality, followed by “830” to complete the year — a quiet code linking past and future.
The collection features ultra-thin titanium frames with distinctly faceted temples and a newly developed nose pad construction for exceptional comfort. Every curve is reduced to its essence, every detail engineered for wearability. Shapes reference familiar classics, but their execution is unmistakably contemporary — refined, precise, and light as air.
1830 reframes tradition — not through nostalgia, but through clarity of purpose.
COBLENS x HAW – Dual Form Study, 2014
This collaborative piece between COBLENS and Berlin-based designer HAW (Hermann August Weizenegger) explores eyewear as sculptural object. Two architectural segments —
upper and lower — are milled from solid titanium blocks and mechanically joined, forming a seamless frame with striking dimensionality.
Each version in the series draws colour references from a parallel collection of glass objects by HAW, including vases and carafes. The chosen lens tints were developed to echo the tones of those pieces, creating a precise visual harmony between material, form and hue.
Though bold in appearance, the frame is executed with technical restraint and manufacturing precision —
a quiet study in how volume, line and industrial process can meet in a wearable object.
COBLENS, Collection ZENTRALFLUGHAFEN, 2012
Each frame in the Zentralflughafen collection is sculpted from premium acetate, featuring subtly tiered contours that give the design a sense of depth and architectural structure.
The soft faceting around the rims creates a play of light and shadow, recalling the mid-century aesthetics that inspired the series.
A custom titanium hinge — ion-plated in contrasting tones — connects and separates front and temple, visually dividing materials while unifying the collection
through a shared signature detail.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOBIAS SCHULT
https://tobiasschult.com/
FMHE
COSMOS — A Study in Depth and Distance
This early 3D-printed collection explored volume, shadow, and the constructive logic of additive design. Entirely manufactured using SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) and DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering), KOSMOS was among the first to realise screw-in titanium hinges and threaded counterparts directly from the print bed — no post-machining, no compromise.
The frames take their names from actual deep-sky objects, evoking the quiet enormity of space. Their geometry is resolute, tactile, and spatial — less about visual flamboyance,
more about form and depth.
COSMOS marks an early and decisive step into fully digital eyewear production.
SPECTRA, Color development, 2022
This part of the site will take a little longer to complete. Different formats, sources, and levels of detail need to be curated carefully to create a coherent, thoughtful presentation.
Thank you for your patience — I hope the material already available gives you a first glimpse into the work behind the scenes.
https://spectraadditive.com
COBLENS, Collection AUTOBAHN, 2014
This titanium eyewear collection draws subtle cues from the design language of 1970s sports culture. The temple tips, made from brightly colored acetate, feature circular perforations —
a detail that reveals the metal core beneath and recalls the iconic knuckle cut-outs of vintage driving gloves.
Other elements echo the aesthetics of lightweight sport steering wheels from the same era, with their characteristic round openings, engineered for both function and flair.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOBIAS SCHULT
https://tobiasschult.com/
NEXT ARCHIVED PROJECT COMING SOON
This part of the site will take a little longer to complete. Different formats, sources, and levels of detail need to be curated carefully to create a coherent, thoughtful presentation.
Thank you for your patience — I hope the material already available gives you a first glimpse into the work behind the scenes.
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SOBRE: Fabián M Hofmann Bonengél, un arquitecte i dissenyador nascut a Suïssa, crea obres d'art visualment sorprenents a més dels seus projectes arquitectònics i de disseny.
Ha rebut nombrosos premis i reconeixements internacionals per les seves instal·lacions espacials, dissenys de productes i obres gràfiques, incloent-hi reconeixements a Alemanya, Japó i els EUA. En els darrers anys, Hofmann Bonengél s'ha centrat en l'art visual i creu que l'arquitectura i la pintura estan interconnectades. El seu treball explora diferents formes de comunicació i treball en xarxa, tant en espais urbans com digitals, i examina la connexió dels individus dins la societat i els diferents mitjans de comunicació, ja siguin analògics o digitals.