Globus Portable Workstation Globe

As multifunctional furniture goes, designer Michiel van de Kley's intent with Globus – to create a swivel chair and desk when open, and something that "evokes curiosity" when closed – certainly isn't in keeping with the must-do-everything convergence ethos.  However we'll forgive it because it's so darned lovely.  A moulded plastic globe with a cast aluminum base on casters, the portable workstation automatically locks its wheels when opened, revealing a swivel chair and height-adjustable desk.

Going by some of the images in the gallery below, the Globus can be specified with different desk levels – that way you can play chess or pull out your computer keyboard.  It's intended both for office and home use, though at 1.4m wide and just over a meter high, you'll need a fair amount of space to keep it, and has been developed by Lande Productie Schijndel BV in The Netherlands for Artifort and Gispen.

The Globus is, unlike many workstation concepts we see here at SlashGear, commercially available.  You can have your pick of base and globe colors, together with a choice of seat fabrics.  Sadly it's price-on-application, which usually translates to "very expensive".

[via Designboom]