87 Process
87 injects motion into the most rigid of materials. An unusual method (stretching) meets an unusual material (baking soda) to produce a curious object in eternal flow. 87’s pearlescence comes from the soda, which introduces myriad tiny air bubbles into the glass. Then, it’s repeatedly stretched and folded, like pulled candy. A low-voltage lamp at the top casts light through the resulting bubble trails, creating a gentle gradient of illumination.
Most of Bocci’s designs require two glassblowers, but 87 needs three. In an intuitive process, glassblower 1 grabs as much glass as they can confidently handle—a personal decision that determines each 87’s size.
Glassblowers 1 and 2 work together, with gravity’s help, to stretch and fold the ball of glass. They repeat this process seven to nine times, until the glass is no longer malleable. Finally, glassblower 3 drapes and pinches the resulting strip of glass over a metal pipe and arranges the pendant’s final shape.
Conceived in 2016. Launched in 2017.
