Tokyo-based design studio We+ has released a portable table lamp made from a material that it has developed, which contains rubble and debris from building sites.
The lamp’s name, Remli, comes from a combination of the words ‘remains’ and ‘light’, in reference to a previous project by We+, named Remains, in which it pioneered the material.
The studio used Remains to manufacture a table lamp that sports the material’s gritty texture. According to the brand, Remains has a tactile finish that is similar to concrete, but warmer and earthier.
“Remli is made with a technology that We+ developed that allows for the recycling of hardly recyclable waste that goes to create a composite material,” said We+. “Remli reimagines waste materials from Tokyo as new vernacular materials.”
The studio visited construction sites throughout Tokyo to select and collect rubble and debris based on its reusability and recyclability.
These waste materials were then ground into a powder, with the molten glass acting as a binder.
“We picked up several types of waste such as glass, ceramics, concrete and debris that are challenging to sort by material type,” We+ told Dezeen.
“These materials are further milled, crushed, mixed with soil and applied to the surface of the product.”
The lamp has a gently tapered, sturdy body that stops it from being easily knocked over, and its chunky, disc-shaped shade conceals its lighting fixture for a seamless, minimalistic appearance.
“The design was decided with consideration for its unobtrusive presence when placed on a table, ensuring it won’t interfere with cutlery or other objects,” We+ continued.
The studio designed Remli to have a warm, steady glow when illuminated, making it suited for use as a mood light.
The way the shade casts light in a downward direction makes the lamp’s own pocked surface more apparent, shedding light on its materiality.
Its internal components were manufactured by Japanese lighting design brand Ambientec.
According to We+, the majority of the light’s components are recyclable. The lamp was released during the 2024 edition of Milan Design Week, which took place in April.
We+ is a Japanese design studio established in 2013 by Toshiya Hayashi and Hokuto Ando, which specialises in the design and manufacturing of contemporary furniture, lighting and installations
Other recent lamp designs on Dezeen include a light reminiscent of a sheet of paper made from oxidised steel and a table lamp made from repurposed cinema screens.
The photography is by Hiroshi Iwasaki.
