Interdisciplinary studio based in Berlin merging art and design. Our projects are driven by curiosity—toward science, technology, materials, craft, food, and the senses. We explore how design shapes our perception of the world, placing sensory experience at the center of our creative process. Through a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, we develop new objects and concepts aimed at enhancing everyday well-being.

We believe design is both a powerful tool for solving real-world challenges and a medium for sparking dialogue—inviting reflection on the cultural, social, and ethical dimensions of contemporary life. Our studio works closely with private clients, architects, companies, and scientists to create unique design experiences, spatial concepts, products, and research-based projects.

This commitment to sensory exploration and critical design is further explored in Omer Polak’s TEDx talk, "Smell as a Design Tool", presented in Lausanne, Switzerland.

studio@omerpolak.com

Florentin Collection

Sunglasses | 2017 | Client: Design Museum Holon

The Florentin Collection is a series of sunglasses inspired by the people, textures, and spirit of Florentin, the eclectic neighborhood in South Tel Aviv where my studio is located. Each model in the collection reflects a local character—neighbors, artisans, and passersby—embodying the layered identity of a place shaped by migration, industry, and creative resilience.

Since 1929, Florentin has grown along the path of the historic Jaffa–Jerusalem railway, developing into a hub for carpentries, metal workshops, and small-scale craft production. The area is known for its contrasts—between old and new, tradition and experimentation, decay and reinvention.

The design process began by stepping outside the studio and into the neighborhood’s surviving workshops, where I observed time-honored techniques and everyday craftsmanship. One key influence came from a small maker of matkot—wooden beach paddles—who used thin wood laminations to create durable, lightweight forms. This lamination process, along with the layered graffiti that covers Florentin’s walls, informed both the structure and surface treatment of the eyewear.

Combining materiality, memory, and urban energy, the Florentin Collection is both a tribute to local craft and a wearable portrait of a neighborhood in constant flux.

Part of the permanent collection of the Design Museum Holon, Israel.

Graffiti in the Florentine neighborhood by dioz (Guy Bloom)

A local factory for Matkot in the Florentin neighborhood TLV