These Modular Wax Lights Stack Like Living Totems - Yanko Design

"Copenhagen-based studio Daydreaming Objects has taken that transformative quality and turned it into something completely unexpected: sculptural light towers that feel like they're alive. Their project, Soft Solids, recently won the Seoul Design Award 2025, and once you see these pieces, you'll understand why. These aren't your typical lamps. They're modular sculptures that stack like organic totems, built from specially developed natural wax blends and vintage lighting hardware salvaged from mid-20th-century fixtures across Sweden, Italy, and former Czechoslovakia."

"But Daydreaming Objects has figured out how to make it durable, heat-resistant, and strong enough to serve as functional lighting. They've developed a blend using soy wax and stearin, a vegetable or animal fat derivative that's far more sustainable than petroleum-based paraffin. The result is a material that can be endlessly recycled, melted down and recast into new forms without losing its integrity."

"What makes Soft Solids particularly clever is its modularity. The Stem light sculpture, one of the standout pieces in the collection, consists of cylindrical wax units that stack vertically. You can add or remove sections, adjusting the height and composition to fit your space or mood. It's like playing with blocks, except these blocks glow. By day, they stand as quiet, solid forms with a minimalist presence. By night, LED lights transform them into luminous columns that diffuse warmth throughout a room."

Soft Solids are sculptural light towers constructed from specially developed natural wax blends and salvaged mid‑20th‑century lighting hardware. The wax formula combines soy wax and stearin to create a heat‑resistant, durable material that can be melted and recast repeatedly without losing integrity. The collection is modular: cylindrical wax units stack vertically to allow adjustable height and composition. Daytime presence is minimalist and solid; integrated LEDs convert the stacked forms into warm, diffused luminous columns at night. The biomorphic shapes reference plant growth and geological formations. The materials and process prioritize sustainability through recyclable, vegetable‑derived components and reuse of vintage fixtures.

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