We had been developing a tall light for a stairwell, a vertical lamp that needed to feel calm and precise. The idea of pairing it with 100 percent post-consumer recycled aluminium felt right, technically and ethically. Hydro offered to help us look at the profile with fresh eyes, and that changed the project.

Our starting point was an architectural commission, a light installation that runs the height of a stair. The sketch was simple, a slim profile with the light source hidden from view.

We have worked with aluminium before, mainly with sheet cutting and finishing, but extrusion was new to us. Hydro brought us into the process, from refining the drawing to developing the die. That collaboration helped us keep the section balanced, leave proper space for LED strips, and control how the pieces slide and lock. The result is indirect light, no glare, and a clean exterior without visible sources.

We chose an anodized finish for the way it works with light on a curved surface. In daylight the profile reads as a soft sculpture, and in the evening the interior reflections deepen the tone and give the object warmth. The lamp had to earn its place both on and off, so the profile does a second job as a quiet vertical totem when the LEDs are off.

The three profiles slide into each other and are capped at the top and bottom with simple plates, which keeps the assembly honest and the service points clear. Working this way also lets us scale the idea. The same section can become a tall floor piece, a pendant in a smaller diameter, or an outdoor element for landscape lighting, all without redrawing the entire system.