Pixar brought lamps to life, and Mischer’Traxler made them sustainable. These reclaimed lamps look like they’re having a conversation, or a laser duel, by sharing a fluorescent bulb between them. Instead of creating a new form for a lamp, ‘Relumine’ reuses existing light fixtures to inspire conservation. The old fixtures are disassembled, sanded, newly lacquered and equipped with newer technology before being joined together with a single fluorescent tube.

‘Trudy’ detail. Designed by Mischer’Traxler.

Lamps Get a Second Life Together

‘Relumine’ was first exhibited at Vienna Design Week 2010 as part of an exhibition called Bulb Fiction at Gallery Klaus Engelhorn. Like many of Mischer’Traxler’s designs, the project takes an out-of-the-box approach to a given problem. This project was meant to focus on new light sources, which lead Mischer’Traxler to adaptive reuse of existing fixtures. “Instead of completely designing a newly shaped lamp, ‘Relumine’ plays on the fact that we have to switch from old light bulbs to new energy saving light sources.”

‘Number One’, the actual prototype. Designed by Mischer’Traxler.

Two lamps from the relumine series. Designed by Mischer’Traxler.

‘Number One’, the actual prototype. Designed by Mischer’Traxler.

All components are sanded and newly lacquered. Designed by Mischer’Traxler.

About the Designers: Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler design and develop products, furniture, exhibitions with curiosity and experimentation in mind. After graduating from the IM-masters department of the Design Academy Eindhoven, in June 2008 and several years of collaborating on various projects, they started Studio Mischer’Traxler in Vienna, Austria in 2009. The team has already won numerous awards such as the Austrian Prize for the Advancement of Experimental Design in 2009 and the Sustainable Design Award, by Dyson & the Design Academy in 2007. Project such as the “Nespresso battery” and “The idea of a tree” have brought them recognition for their creatively and boundless energy to question the way we design.

via Dezeen