haneul kim recycles discarded movie theater screens into lamps and furniture pieces

How can screens thrown away in movie theaters be recycled?

Designer Haneul Kim collaborates with CGV, Korea’s biggest movie brand, to address the issue of recycling waste movie screens from theaters. These screens, often several meters long, are discarded due to damage, contamination, or in cases when theaters are shut down. Upon noticing these perforations on the discarded screens, Haneul Kim recognized a visual resemblance to aluminum perforated plates commonly used in industrial projects. This discovery inspired the idea of substituting the screens’ sound-transmitting function with light emission. Building on this concept, Kim developed designs for portable lamps that utilize these small holes to emit light.

all images by Haneul Kim

Haneul kim Repurposes Waste Movie Screens into Lighting Designs

For his new Waste Screen Recycle project, Haneul Kim also repurposed the screens to pay homage to the legendary designer Mario Botta’s iconic shogun lamp. Characterized by clean lines and geometric precision, Botta’s lamp typically incorporates perforations or cutouts, allowing light to diffuse elegantly. ‘This homage work confirms the possibility that waste screens can specifically replace the lampshade of existing shogun lamps,’ shared the designer.  Waste movie screens represent excellent materials capable of substituting cloth or leather, and they hold the potential for meaningful utilization across various domains due to their exceptional functional and aesthetic qualities. Additionally, the designer created furniture pieces, including tables and chairs, to showcase the original patterns found in waste movie screens. Through this project, Haneul Kim is actively exploring their potential use as interior materials for the future. 

homage to the Shogun table lamp, made from discarded movie screen (PVC)

screen furniture series
furniture designs highlighting the patterns on these screens

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the process of dismantling the damaged CGV movie theater screen

the process of dismantling the damaged CGV movie theater screen

the process of dismantling the damaged CGV movie theater screen

project info:

name: Waste screen recycle project / Portable screen lamp, Screen furniture series
designer: Haneul Kim

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina petridou | designboom