What we throw into the sea returns to land. And with what the sea currents had deposited on the beaches of the Canaries, the architect Fernando Menis created original Christmas lights
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himWhat we throw into the sea returns to land. And with what the sea currents had deposited on the beaches of the Canaries, the architect Fernando Menis created original Christmas lights.
By now Christmas, or more generally the holiday period, is traced back to extreme consumerism. The Spanish architect Fernando Menis, born in Tenerife, however, tried to see it from another point of view, an excellent opportunity to reuse the objects thrown away.
Menis has in fact designed Christmas lights to be made by recycling the summer waste of the coastal town of La Oliva on the island of Fuerteventura. Colorful floats, surfboards, buckets, beach toys but also plastic bottles abandoned on local beaches will have a second life in the beautiful Canary Islands, becoming unusual Christmas decorations.
The current mayor of La Oliva commissioned Menis to design a sustainable Christmas lighting in terms of energy saving, using materials recycled. On the basis of these indications, Menis has designed decorations that recall the sea, decidedly more suited to the local context than the classic snowflakes or snowmen.
The economy of La Oliva is traditionally linked to the sea and fishing, which is why the architect imagined giant squid, hibiscus flowers, palm trees, jellyfish-shaped boats and garlands, all illuminated with low energy consumption LED technology. Some are even powered by small photovoltaic panels to minimize the impact.
The giant squid
The squid will invade streets and squares, aspiring to become the symbol of La Oliva's maritime Christmas. Each squid will consist of 10 floats, 20 hollow sponges and two plastic buckets. The colors of the materials will be random and will depend on the waste used.
Hibiscus flowers
Fuerteventura, in winter as in summer, is cheerfully colored, given the warm temperatures that are recorded in every season. For this reason, instead of the classic snowmen, these flowers were chosen as a symbol of the island's Christmas. To make them, 9 bodysurf boards and other recycled materials will be used.
The palm
Specially designed for urban spaces which, due to their importance and character, require a more sober, simple and elegant intervention, palm trees are one of the symbols of the Canaries. In this case, the lights do not surround the palm, but run vertically, from the trunk to the top.
Not just aesthetics. Menis' creations send a message, showing what bathers leave on the beaches and leaving it for days under the eyes of visitors and inhabitants.
Menis also aims to bring his works to the fishing boats that sail near the coast, decorating them with recycled garlands that light up at night.
READ also:
- THE DO-IT-YOURSELF DECORATIONS OF DOCTORS AND NURSES TO MAKE HOSPITAL CHRISTMAS MORE BEAUTIFUL
- 10 CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS FROM THE CREATIVE RECYCLING OF PALLETS
The project will be carried out with the participation of citizens, involving adults and children in celebrating Christmas in a different way, giving new life to abandoned waste.
Francesca Mancuso
Gallery
