Cinco x Cinco’s latest series of tubular lighting fixtures and furniture is meant to evoke the feeling of frolicking on a playground—especially the curved metal structures found in the studio’s home country of Guatemala. The collection, called the Sum of Small Parts, does justice to its name. Comprising a chandelier, bar cart, and lounge chair, it features sinuous chrome structural elements and a mix of locally crafted artisanal materials, such as the chandelier’s Chinautla clay “pendant charms” and the bar cart’s conacaste wood slabs. They amount to a head-turning series that deftly fuses local handicraft with modernist archetypes.
“One goal we share as a collective is to innovate Guatemalan handmade and industrial techniques, show what Guatemala can bring to the design scene, and create functional, sustainable design with impact in the artisans’ communities,” architect Esteban Paredes, one of five talents helming Cinco x Cinco, told Dezeen. It’s safe to say the studio is succeeding. This past year, the Sum of Small Parts received the Inédito Award, one of Design Week Mexico’s most prestigious accolades.
