From mycelium to the recyclable light bulb: 5 projects that tell the story of the new collectible design

Among architecture studios, design galleries and companies from the world of mass production, the Paris fair Matter&Shape has in just a few years become one of the places where the evolution of collectible design can be closely observed. Interior architects, decorators, hospitality professionals and collectors wander through the stands of an event now in its third edition and characterized by a deliberately hybrid nature: emerging projects coexist with established brands and internationally renowned architecture studios. It is no coincidence, then, that this year’s edition is dedicated to the theme of scale, understood as a transition between S, M, L, XL, that is, between objects and different design dimensions that connect authorial research with production. The living-room system, understood as an intimate and enveloping space defined by a seat, a lamp and a small table, is one of the configurations that most stimulate designers and is easy to identify among the stands. Within the heterogeneity of styles and formal proposals, the solution by Unknown, Untitled distances itself from the déco revivals and the preciousness-infused maximalism to bring us back toward a linear essentiality not far from Japanese aesthetics. Favoring black glass as its sole material of choice, the Paris-based studio creates a minimalist table defined by two parallel planes. Accompanying it are two meditation stools and an emblematic wall light source, a sort of black sun, also made of glass, that asserts itself as a mysterious and enigmatic presence.

Herzog & de Meuron, among the most celebrated names present at the fair, instead propose an object on a smaller scale but extremely precise from a design perspective. Their Hong Kong Stool, a playful yet functional reinterpretation of the stool, is inspired by construction toys based on the assembly of small wooden elements. Initially designed for the M+ museum in Hong Kong, the small stool is now distributed in a limited edition in walnut and ash versions. The quality of the woods remains a hallmark that can be perceived at first glance and then immediately to the touch, capable of evoking sensitivities and millenary craftsmanship even through an object with a contemporary language.

On the lighting front, many proposals embrace a marked decorative attitude, fully entering that branch of limited-edition design that plays with the sculptural value of the lamp-object. However, a countercurrent approach is gaining space without compromising expectations of atmospheric quality and research. The Italian design duo RedDuo presented in preview Glowtile, a modular solution composed of glazed ceramic blocks that may or may not include an exposed light bulb. Produced by Leucos, the system stands out for its scenographic impact on large surfaces: by exploiting the compositional potential of the blocks, the solution becomes a second skin with strong material presence that can be used to cover walls or ceilings, both in retail environments and in domestic interiors.

At an even smaller scale but equally seductive is the project by the Swiss studio Iiode, specialized in sustainable electronics applications. The ambition, almost bold for a small agency, revolves around a question: how can a more efficient LED light bulb be obtained? The answer does not lie in micro-components but in a radical process of revision. The body of the Re27 light bulb is made of die-cast aluminum: its porosity allows heat to dissipate, while also producing a texture that overturns expectations regarding the materiality and aesthetic presence of this everyday object. Made almost entirely with recycled materials, it can be repaired and recycled in the spirit of full circularity.

There are also new developments from Aleor, a gallery founded in Brussels in 2024 that continues its experimentation with biodesign and its applied frontiers, without interruption between authorial research dedicated to the collectible market and material applications aimed at the industrial world. Among the latest pieces presented at Matter and Shape is Trametes, a room divider developed by Bento. The multidisciplinary architecture atelier succeeded in the technically non-trivial challenge of stabilizing an unprecedented red mycelium composite. The modular reconfiguration offered by the blocks establishes itself as a cooperative solution, open to the possible desires of use and composition of the user.

Unusual materials, experimental production techniques and objects oscillating between small series and authorial research: the landscape emerging from Matter and Shape shows how collectible design is increasingly becoming a laboratory in which material and form are reconsidered together. An approach that perfectly reflects the very name of the fair, where formal experimentation intertwines with technical and typological research, allowing large-scale production and very small series to coexist under the sign of research and innovation.

Opening image: Unknown, Untitled, 2026