Push / Pull

Lamps for kicking, cramming, swinging and hanging.

Created in conjunction with Re-Fab: Design for Sail, a partnership between Canada Place and Vancouver Architecture For Humanity Society (AFH Vancouver) to repurpose the fabric from the old Canada Place sails for new uses. Exhibited at the IDSWest (Interior Design Show West) in 2011.

We created a series of material experiments—verbs to push sail with. We tried to torch it, burn it, boil it and blend it; to stretch and tear it, twist and braid it, drill and pierce it; mould, glue and engrave it, sandblast, bleach and stain it. We microwaved it. We used liquid nitrogen on it.

And it asked for more.

The material is designed to last, to endure the elements. To protect and shelter.

Push / Pull is a series of lamps that celebrate this beauty in strength. It’s where material and interior design meet utility. Where sail once housed people it now houses light. And it wants you to interact with it, to kick and cram it, swing and hang it.

Images by Julian Hecht.

Freezing sail to −196°C with liquid nitrogen.

List of verbs applied to sail.

Scoring and dyeing sail.