figure-eight knot casts into a glass light sculpture projecting shifting shadows

figure-eight knot casts into a glass light sculpture projecting shifting shadows

Noeuds Marins turns Hand-Tied Knot into glass light sculpture

 

Noeuds Marins (Glass Knot) by François Hurtaud transforms a figure-eight knot into a limited-edition light sculpture. Drawing on a knot the designer learned to tie in Brittany during childhood, the project translates a familiar manual gesture into a fixed glass form illuminated from within.

 

Traditionally tied and untied by hand, the knot is preserved here as a permanent object. When lit, the sculpture projects a braided shadow onto the surrounding wall. While the knot itself remains static, its shadow changes according to the viewer’s position and the conditions of light within the space, creating a shifting relationship between object and projection.

figure-eight knot casts into a glass light sculpture projecting shifting shadows - 1
all images by Pak Chung, Mak Hoi Tung

 

 

sculpture combines glass, internal light, and shifting shadow

 

The project by designer Francois Hurtaud originated through a process of manual study and repetition. Working with rope, Hurtaud examined the structure and movement of the figure-eight knot before translating its geometry into a three-dimensional form. The sculpture was subsequently developed through modelling, prototyping, and casting processes carried out across workshops in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.

 

Each edition is produced as a unique piece, combining the permanence of the cast object with the changing qualities of light and shadow.

figure-eight knot casts into a glass light sculpture projecting shifting shadows - 2
Noeuds Marins transforms a figure-eight knot into a glass light sculpture

figure-eight knot casts into a glass light sculpture projecting shifting shadows - 3
a familiar hand-tied gesture becomes a fixed three-dimensional form

noeuds-marins-francois-hurtaud-figure-eight-knot-light-sculpture-designboom-1800-3

the glass sculpture preserves the geometry of the figure-eight knot

figure-eight knot casts into a glass light sculpture projecting shifting shadows - 4
the limited-edition piece is illuminated from within

figure-eight knot casts into a glass light sculpture projecting shifting shadows - 5
the final sculpture translates rope geometry into cast glass

noeuds-marins-francois-hurtaud-figure-eight-knot-light-sculpture-designboom-1800-2

rope studies were used to examine the knot’s structure and movement

figure-eight knot casts into a glass light sculpture projecting shifting shadows - 6
changing light conditions alter the relationship between object and projection

noeuds-marins-francois-hurtaud-figure-eight-knot-light-sculpture-designboom-1800-4

light extends the physical form into the surrounding space

 

project info:

 

name: Noeuds Marins
designer: Francois Hurtaud | @francoishurtaud

photographer: Pak Chung, Mak Hoi Tung

 

 

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 Vergopoulou | designboom

Francois
sep 02, 2026
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