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Spanish designers working in 3D printed sand
Three designers in the Blacksand Collective work from Spain: Adrián M. Almonacid (Cuatro Cuatros, Valencia) with the BOLA candle holders, Luis Gimeno (Barcelona) with the Halo lamps, and Manex B. Mugica (Valencia and Bilbao) with the Citrus, Conus and Janzol clocks. Every piece is 3D printed in black quartz sand and priced by weight at €158 per kilogram, plus fitted parts such as a light kit or a clock movement.
Blacksand® Lab is based in Valencia, and the Blacksand Collective brings together designers from cities across Europe and beyond. Three of them work from Spain, and all three design for the same material: black quartz sand, 3D printed by binder jetting, matt and mineral, with no paint or coating.
The World Design Organization named Valencia World Design Capital 2022. It is also the city every Blacksand piece is assembled and shipped from.
The three at a glance
| Designer | Studio | City | Pieces in sand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adrián M. Almonacid | Cuatro Cuatros | Valencia | BOLA candle holders |
| Luis Gimeno | Luis Gimeno Design | Barcelona | Halo lamps |
| Manex B. Mugica | Manex Bilbao Studio | Valencia and Bilbao | Citrus, Conus and Janzol clocks |
Adrián M. Almonacid, Cuatro Cuatros (Valencia)
Adrián M. Almonacid founded Cuatro Cuatros in Valencia in 2010. The studio is guided by concept and poetics, blurs the line between function and form, and looks for the extraordinary hidden in the ordinary. Its research-driven work moves between production and collectible design. His forms: spheres, geometry and repetition.
For Blacksand he designed BOLA, candle holders built around the sphere. Solid spheres hold the candles and are joined by a thin flat plane, so each piece reads as a small architectural composition. Each sphere takes a taper candle; flip the piece over and the flat underside takes tea lights.
| Piece | Spheres and plane | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOLA TRI | 3, triangle | 1.12 kg | about €177 |
| BOLA SQ | 4, square | 1.4 kg | about €221 |
| BOLA CIR | 4, circle | 1.44 kg | about €228 |
| BOLA RHOMB | 4, rhombus | 1.45 kg | about €229 |
| BOLA ELL | 4, ellipse | 1.51 kg | about €239 |
| BOLA REC | 6, rectangle | 1.74 kg | about €275 |
Always use candles in a metal or glass cup or insert, never directly on the sand, and keep at least 10 cm between burning candles.
Luis Gimeno, Luis Gimeno Design (Barcelona)
Luis Gimeno is an industrial and furniture designer based in Barcelona. He makes playful, functional pieces that combine organic forms, craftsmanship and a contemporary approach, exploring everyday objects through distinctive materials and textures. His forms: rounded edges, curves and cones.
His collection for Blacksand is Halo, inspired by water fountains: light flows and gathers in its rounded openings, a fountain where light takes the place of water.
- Halo Aura: a table lamp whose light spills over the edge of its disc. 1.9 kg of sand, about €300, plus the light kit.
- Halo Pendant 01: the disc, hung from the ceiling. 1.44 kg, about €228, plus the kit.
- Halo Wall 01: the disc against the wall. 1.44 kg, about €228, plus the kit.
The lamps carry the CE marking and are for indoor use in dry places.
Manex B. Mugica, Manex Bilbao Studio (Valencia and Bilbao)
Manex B. Mugica is a Basque designer based in Valencia. A passion for Italian furniture design took him to Milan in 2016. He returned to Valencia and founded his studio in 2022, focused on product, furniture and lighting. Shaped by the Basque Country, Milan and Mediterranean tradition, his work pairs a timeless character with new combinations of shapes, materials and colours. His forms: pure lines, geometry with a twist.
For Blacksand he designed three families of clocks, each as a wall and a table piece:
- Citrus borrows the segments of a sliced fruit: Citrus Wall, with slim brass hands, and Citrus Table.
- Conus is built around a soft cone that dips into the dial: Conus Wall and Conus Table.
- Janzol frames a hollowed circle within a square: Janzol Wall, with three long brass hands, and Janzol Table, a small house-like volume.
The clocks weigh 0.6 to 1.8 kg. Citrus Table costs about €200: 0.6 kg of sand plus the clock movement (€105). See all clocks.
What they share
- One material. A BOLA candle holder, a Halo lamp and a Janzol clock read as one family in a room. Ideas in How to style black sculptural objects.
- One price. Everything is priced by weight, at the same rate per kilogram for every designer.
Meet the rest of the collective in 3D printed furniture designers to know.
Commission one of them
All three take commissions. Through Bespoke you bring an idea or a brief, choose up to three designers from the collective, and we take care of production. You pay a design fee, quoted upfront, plus the piece by weight. See How to commission a bespoke piece.
Questions
Which Spanish designers work in 3D printed sand at Blacksand?
Adrián M. Almonacid (Cuatro Cuatros, Valencia), Luis Gimeno (Barcelona) and Manex B. Mugica (Valencia and Bilbao). They design candle holders, lamps and clocks in black quartz sand.
How much does a piece by these designers cost?
You pay by weight, at €158 per kilogram, including VAT. A BOLA TRI costs about €177 and a Citrus Table clock about €200 with its movement. Lamps add the light kit.
Do the Halo lamps ship outside Spain?
For now, lighting for private customers ships within Spain only. Candle holders and clocks ship worldwide.
Sources: World Design Organization: Valencia named World Design Capital 2022
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