Like many people, I am particular about my pens. The tip should be neither too thick nor too thin. The ink should be neither too runny nor too obstinate. The grip should be neither too great nor too small. I want my ink to be black if it’s black and blue if it’s blue—neither charcoal nor teal will do. At home, I have a fine collection of fountain pens, though replacing the nibs and ink reservoirs often drives me crazy. At work, therefore, I stick to disposable pens, though I am perhaps too quick to dispose of pens that don’t write the way I would like them to (not the most sustainable practice, I know). Thankfully, Madrid-based design firm enPieza is finding a good use for all my discarded pens with their Volivik ceiling light.

Volivik 347 nna. Designed by enPieza.

Unusual, Writerly Chandelier

Constructed of Bic pens of no particular worth (aesthetic or otherwise), Volivik comes in three chandelier models: Volivik 347 nn, Volivik 347 nna, and Volivik 895 nn. The 347 nn and 895 nn models use clear and black plastic pens, while the 347 nna uses yellow and black plastic pens. Both 347 models measure 80 cm h x 52 cm w; the grandiose 895 measures 120 cm h x 90 cm w. Although the smaller chandeliers are limited to editions of 30 units, the mammoth Volivik—a real tribute to Bic—has no stated production cap. The yellow Volivik is the same iconic color as those No. 2 pencils children use to take pesky standardized tests. This model ignites the imagination with visions of sherbet-colored maps and forest green chalkboards, though it doesn’t do much to reflect light: the yellow plastic of these pens is opaque. You can, however, enjoy the illumination as it peeks between the vertically hung pens.

Volivik 895 nn and Volivik 347 nn. Designed by enPieza.

Volivik 347 nn. Designed by enPieza.

Volivik 895. Designed by enPieza.

I am more of a fan of the Volivik 347 nn and 895 nn, both of which take advantage of the translucent pen casings (already lovely, since their transparency allows you to examine the capillaries of ink). With these chandeliers, you can truly admire the refraction of light—the Volivik is scintillating. An obvious choice for writers, Volivik would also be an ideal ceiling light for educational institutions and libraries. If elementary schools were outfitted with products like enPieza’s Volivik, we might inspire children everywhere to grow up with a talent for defamiliarizing everyday objects—and these future citizens of the world might do a lot in the way of sustainable product design.