Rotterdam’s The New Raw Turns Discarded Harbour Rope into Award-Nominated Rocking Stools

Rotterdam-based design studio The New Raw has found a clever second life for the masses of synthetic rope discarded at the city’s busy port, transforming them into sculptural stools that gently rock like buoys on the water. The project, nominated for a Dezeen Award, highlights how industrial waste can be reimagined as functional, playful furniture. By collecting and processing abandoned marine rope—material that would otherwise end up in landfill or incinerators—the studio draws attention to the hidden waste streams of global shipping hubs. The stools’ curved bases mimic the motion of floating buoys, inviting users to interact with the piece and reflect on the journey of the material. With Rotterdam’s harbour as both source and inspiration, The New Raw demonstrates a scalable model for circular design in port cities worldwide. As coastal industries grapple with mounting plastic waste, such creative reuse could point toward more resilient, low-impact urban manufacturing.