by Kimberley Mok, Montreal, Canada
Design & Architecture
Is it premature to predict the death of the paper book? With sales of e-readers recently outpacing that of real books, it may seem like the end is near. But even so, according to that logic, that’s a lot of “useless” books that are left out there. Not so for Turkish designer Ragip Erdem of New York-based Erdem Designs, who handcrafts these lovely lamps from recycled books and which are fit for the die-hard book lover.
According to Erdem, his design is an homage to the institution of the book and what it stands for, even as reading habits become increasingly digitized:
As this medium is transforming into a digital entity, I think its physical parts; pages, covers and spines, may turn into sculpturesque icons. Exploiting this prospect, the Book Lamp attempts to radiate the substance of a book inside the room utilizing our mind’s inherent capacity to seek the meaning behind the symbol.
Best done with art or coffee table books, Erdem’s Book Lamps offer elegant mood lighting that can be made for the table or hung as a pendant lamp.
So in this perspective, the book may be here to stay, albeit in other forms, ranging from gorgeous gowns, to jewelry, to a fusion of old and new in iPad and Kindle cases made from — you guessed it — recycled books. While many are predicting the death of paper books, there’s a good chance that many of them could wind up remade into something new, useful and surprising — which is good news for books.

Photos: Erdem Designs
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(Source: www.treehugger.com )