Designers Sabine Marcelis and Daniel Rybakken are among the talents showcasing aluminium-based furniture and home decor at Hydro's R100 exhibition during Milan Design Week 2025. Organised by the aluminium and renewable energy company Hydro, the exhibition was built entirely from 100 per cent post-consumer aluminium—including all objects, podiums, and display structures.
The exhibition featured five design pieces, all developed under a self-imposed constraint: everything, from sourcing the aluminium scrap to producing the finished designs, had to occur within a 100-kilometre radius. This local-first approach underscored the feasibility and beauty of sustainable design at scale.
Hosted at Capsule Plaza – Spazio Maiocchi in Milan ( from April 7 to April 13), R100 built upon the momentum of Hydro's 2024 "100R" exhibition, which marked the debut of Hydro CIRCAL 100R—the first industrial-scale aluminium made entirely from post-consumer scrap.
Exhibition & emission reduction at the same time
By anchoring the entire project within a 100-kilometre radius, Hydro spotlighted transportation emissions—a major, often overlooked contributor in the design industry. This hyper-local approach led to a striking outcome: a 90 per cent reduction in transport-related emissions compared to Hydro's 2024 project, according to the company.
The concept was envisioned by designer Lars Beller Fjetland, who curated the exhibition and served as its creative director. Under his guidance, five new pieces were unveiled by a distinguished lineup of designers—
Highlights of the exhibition
Among the highlights was Orbit Light by Marcelis, a sculptural piece inspired by the celestial movement. Its name reflects the way light elegantly glides across its curved aluminium surface, evoking the sensation of a planet in orbit.
Japanese designer Keiji Takeuchi introduced Profil, a modular outdoor furniture collection designed for effortless assembly—each piece simply snaps into place. Meanwhile, German designer Stefan Diez presented BOSS, a refined waste bin that offers a considered and functional approach to waste management.
Also featured was Rør by Danish designer Cecilie Manz—a minimalist aluminium tube that delves into the material's vast potential for creative expression. Norwegian designer Daniel Rybakken showcased Fields, a sculptural work crafted from industrially produced aluminium components, exploring the interplay of form, light, and structure.
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Hydro's vision
Hydro curated the exhibition with a focus on diversity in design philosophy, selecting designers known for their unique approaches. The result is a dynamic collection of aluminium works spanning furniture, sculpture, and home decor. According to Hydro, each designer was given complete creative freedom—no restrictions on size, form, or typology—allowing their visions to fully take shape within the possibilities of post-consumer aluminium. For the project, Hydro sourced 52 tonnes of aluminium scrap from the Benelux region, reclaiming material from demolished greenhouses and decommissioned streetlight poles to supply the designers.
Looking back at Hydro's first
Hydro first introduced its 100R exhibition at Milan Design Week and the London Design Festival in 2024, marking the debut of its groundbreaking aluminium alloy, Hydro CIRCAL 100R. The material—crafted entirely from post-consumer scrap—served as the foundation for artistic creations by seven renowned designers:
"This is urban mining put into practice," said Hydro Extrusions director of marketing and communications Asle Forsbak. "Working with small manufacturing clusters, which is not unique to R100 but typical for how Hydro works with our customers, allows for full traceability of material, from scrap to final product."
Building on that momentum, the R100 exhibition serves as an evolution of the original concept. It takes Hydro's emissions-conscious philosophy even further by scrutinising every element of the product manufacturing chain with the same rigorous attention the company gives to its materials. Hydro is a global aluminium and renewable energy company, employing more than 32,000 people across over 42 countries, and continues to push the boundaries of sustainable design and industrial innovation.
Images' Source: Hydro website
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