These Pendant Lamps Are Cast From Recycled Lava in 8mm Thin Shells - Yanko Design

"Foscarini has a habit of pushing lighting beyond glass and metal, experimenting with concrete, fabric, and now molten rock. The brand often treats materials as the starting point rather than the afterthought, asking what unexpected substances can become when wrapped around a light source. The Eolie collection continues that line by looking at the volcanic charisma of the Aeolian Islands and asking what happens when lava waste becomes the main ingredient for a pendant lamp."

"Lava, unlike marble, is gathered from the mountain after eruptions and cut into blocks, a process that generates a large volume of surplus chips. The project, in collaboration with stone specialist Ranieri, rebinds those chips into a patented composite that can be cast into thin shells, around 8 to 10 mm thick, strong enough for lighting while keeping the expressive, porous character of natural lavic stone."

Foscarini’s Eolie collection casts pendant lamps from recycled lava chips, converting stone-cutting surplus into a patented composite suitable for thin, strong shells. Alberto and Francesco Meda designed three pendants—Alicudi, Filicudi, and Panarea—each named after Aeolian Islands and shaped to test the composite’s limits: a near-perfect sphere, a stepped cone with horizontal ridges, and a softer lobed form. Collaboration with Ranieri enables industrial casting into 8–10 mm shells followed by hand-working that preserves variegated, porous surfaces and introduces unique variations. The pieces bridge industrial production and craft while prioritizing material expressiveness and volcanic character.

Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News