Whimsical installation reimagines five classic lamps as large-scale sculptures

When you think of public furniture, you probably think of benches, street lights, or bus stops. In Manchester, England, the phrase takes on a whole new meaning thanks to the installation of five improbably large lamps in the city’s central plaza.

The London-based art and design studio Acrylicize designed a series of lamp-shaped sculptures intended to reflect a particular period in Manchester’s history. This includes a 1932 Art Deco style reading lamp that’s inspired by the city’s Art Deco architecture and its long lineage of scientific discoveries.

A midcentury lamp with a purple and white honeycomb pattern is a reference to Manchester’s “busy bee” working class legacy. And a giant Anglepoise lamp that tilts upwards and projects a pattern on the the surrounding buildings is a nod to the city’s future.

Photo via Contemporist

The sculptures range from 11 to 20 feet and light up like a normal lamp. Of course, at that size they’re entirely impractical as house lamps, but they’re still functional pieces of furniture thanks to built-in benches and electric heaters for the colder months.

Photo via Contemporist

Via: Contemporist