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Trash to Treasure: London Designer Wins Top Glass Prize
26 Sep
Summary
- Lulu Harrison uses local sand, wood ash, and mussel shells for glass.
- Her Thames Glass project explores geo-specific glass creation.
- Harrison won the 2025 Ralph Saltzman Prize with a £10,000 bursary.
London designer Lulu Harrison has been awarded the 2025 Ralph Saltzman Prize by the Design Museum for her project, Thames Glass. This innovative initiative transforms locally sourced waste materials into glass. Harrison's unique recipes utilize sand from the River Thames, wood ash, and waste quagga mussel shells provided by Thames Water.
The Design Museum celebrated Harrison as a geo-alchemist, highlighting her exploration of creating glass specific to a location using readily available waste materials. The jury praised her research and ability to communicate the process of mapping raw materials. Harrison received a £10,000 bursary to continue developing her work.
A key component of Thames Glass is the quagga mussel shell, an invasive species that plagues Thames Water's infrastructure. Harrison's collaboration with Thames Water provided access to these waste shells, which are then ground and combined with sand and ash to create distinct glass recipes. The resulting material, with its natural impurities, has been used to craft items like carafes and tumblers.
Harrison developed Thames Glass during her MA in Material Futures at Central Saint Martins, collaborating with various specialists. The project even explored architectural applications, with cast glass façade tiles inspired by London's history. The prize includes a display at the Design Museum from June 24 to August 25, 2025.
