GLYPH: Artistic Furniture from Recycled Plastic and Children's Drawings

Creating artwork from recycled materials is a hallmark that has always been highlighted by The New Raw, a design studio based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. At the European Capital of Culture 2023 event, The New Raw presented his latest work: furniture products from recycled materials known as "GLYPH."

(GLYPH, quarter circle furniture)

The participation of The New Raw is shown through 8 quarter-circle swing chairs. The shape of GLYPH is inspired by the blocks of ruins of ancient buildings in Eleusis that are asymmetrical and abstract but have artistic elements. Uniquely, the main material for these chairs is plastic waste that has been recycled and compacted with a total weight of up to 240 kilograms.

(GLYPH is used for lounge chairs)

In forming GLYPH, The New Raw uses a precast method with FDM (Fused Depositional Modelling). The process begins with entering the final drawing of the GLYPH design in 3D form from special software. After that, the 3D machine will read the design drawings, then melt the plastic material that has been laid into a tube and will make a layer on the metal disk to start processing the formation of 3D images. After the 3D image is formed, the plastic material will harden when exposed to air into a shape that matches the design drawing.

(GLYPH created using 3D preprint method)

(Soft colors adorn GLYPH)

The next process, The New Raw, invites school children to help with the finishing stage of GLYPH through the drawings they scratch on paper. Then, the drawings will be digitally processed and used to upholster these plastic chairs.

(Children's drawings on paper)

(Details of children's drawings on GLYPH)

The New Raw has interpreted 'GLYPH,' which comes from the Greek language, as an engraving, ornament, or symbol that exists on an ancient temple. With the uniqueness and utilization of recycled materials, GLYPH has succeeded in showing that furniture from unused goods can create aesthetics while saving the environment, although not so significant.

"Designed to inspire spontaneous behavior, GLYPH encourages playfulness and increases the bonds between users of all age groups through involvement, inclusion, and interaction," said The New Raw.

(Kids can play on top of GLYPH)