upcycleDZINE is proud to present upcycle design project berlin-re-cycling, a lamp collection made out of upcycling old bicycle parts. The creative brain behind this individually crafted and custom made bicycle parts lighting collection is Stuart N.R. Wolfe, a London sculptor, and artist working in Berlin. Each product is individually crafted and custom made in the berlin-­re-­cycling workshops.
Stuart provided upcycleDZINE with some great background info for this post about berlin-re-cycling’s story and their approach.

Upcycling and Berlin are a perfect fit

When talking about upcycle design, people sometimes ask me which city is the place to be for upcycle design. Well, I think it must be Berlin | Germany. It’s the city where you can find more and more upcycle designers and stores. Especially the sustainable fashion scene is growing fast. They even have a tour showing upcycling, fair trade and eco-sustainable products where you can meet the designers and store managers in-person!
When upcyleDZINE was launched, one of the first featured upcycle design companies was Berlin-based Upcycling Deluxe. A fantastic place to find upcycle design products.
Knowing that this city is an upcycling hotspot it came as no surprise that I stumbled upon another great address for upcycle design.

The story behind berlin‐re‐cycling

Berlin is in a sense new and unconventional, that’s why berlin-­re-­cycling fits perfectly to this city. Through a creative process, recycled bicycle parts are transformed into valuable bicycle parts lighting, appealing to both fashion-minded Berliners and tourists alike. Innovative, stylish and totally off the wall. The trendy design lamps are named after famous city streets and are available in a classic, vintage or pop version. berlin‐re‐cycling is part of the Berlin lifestyle.

A trademark of bicycle parts lighting

Clean lines and clear shapes are a trademark of the sculptor and designer, now living in Kreuzberg. He received international recognition through his installations in the public sphere. The German AIDS Foundation commissioned him with the composition of the annual ‘Hans-­Peter-­Hauschild-­award’. Stuart Wolfe’s artwork stands for style, quality, and commitment.

Stuart Wolfe:

“The philosophy behind this collection is based on a holistic concept, consciously addressing all relevent aspects – the resources, the production, the design work and the interests of the customer.”

Four aspects to creating bicycle parts lighting

There are four aspects that form a whole and are dependent on each other: esthetic design, the origin of the berlin-­re-­cycling products, environmentally friendly and the production line.
berlin-­re-­cycling products, like bicycle parts lighting, are made individually and mainly consist of repurposed objects. It is due to the creative process, that these old bicycle parts are transformed into esthetically new forms and functions. Upcycling reuses existing materials, saves raw materials, preserves energy and has a higher ecological benefit. It is therefore very environmentally friendly.

Crafted and custom made

The production line is an aspect that shows that berlin-­re-­cycling not only cares about our environment but also about the community. It has its own workshops where the products are crafted and custom made, in which people who have less chance on the normal job market are given special consideration. This could be blind or otherwise handicapped people, long term unemployed or asylum-seeking people.


Photos © StW-design

Projects like this are such a fantastic and motivating example for others in the way they show how to be environmentally and socially friendly.
You should definitely pay a visit to StW-design’s website to explore all the amazing upcycle design lamps made out of old bicycle parts. And then you’ll agree that berlin-­re-­cycling belongs to the list of stunning upcycle design pieces that use bicycle parts.

Design by StW-design