luke calder handcrafts borderless + wordless copper globes

designer luke calder has always been fascinated by globes and maps, exploring the true value of land and the experience of place. as a result, he creates exclusive handcrafted gilded copper globes which embrace the spirit of minimalism. ‘I wanted to create a globe that celebrated the form and shape of landscapes, without words, borders or definition of countries, leaving the form of land and water… to trigger an appreciation of the world as a whole’, explains calder.

detail of the rich patina finish

luke calder‘s copper globes start off as two flat sheets of aircraft grade aluminium. they are hand spun to form two hemispheres which are then welded together to form a complete sphere. internally, two sealed bearings attached to the inner wall allow the globes to spin smoothly with the lightest touch. once painted, calder begins the process of gilding the copper land forms , resulting in a globe with incredibly detailed and accurate islands and continents.

many hours are spent creating the fine detail

each piece calder creates is unique in its patina finish, which will change over time due to its sensibility to context and interactions of people with the item. the globes are finally fitted to a steel base, accurately reflection the earth’s spin axis tilt of 23. 5 degrees. ‘while we get increasingly excited about the prospect of inhabiting other planets,we can’t afford to lose our appreciation of what an incredible environment we have here on earth“, says the designer. 

the designer wants to highlight the ‘pristine’ beauty of lands, without borders or words

globes are 450mm in diameter, and come in white or black base colors

each globe is hand gilded in copper, and spin smoothly with the lightest touch

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: lea zeitoun | designboom