A chess table and stool set invite visitors to gather, sit, and engage, echoing the informal gatherings that inspired it. The material logic of the project is grounded in reuse. Scrap bamboo sourced from construction scaffolding, milk tea waste, and recycled plastic are combined into a composite system that balances structural clarity with material storytelling.

Bamboo, long embedded in Hong Kong’s urban fabric, becomes both structure and symbol. Tea waste, typically discarded after brewing, is reprocessed into the surface language of the piece, embedding traces of daily rituals into the object itself. The result is less about aesthetic novelty and more about continuity, extending the lifecycle of materials while preserving their cultural associations.

Designed for disassembly and reconstruction, the chess set operates as an open system, aligning with circular design principles that prioritize longevity and adaptability. all images courtesy of reEDIT, unless stated otherwise no space for waste: a broader framework The Upcycled Gambit sits within No Space for Waste, one of Isola’s recurring exhibitions focused on circularity, slow production, and material experimentation. Now in its third edition, the showcase expands on earlier themes explored in Materialized, Circolare, and Is One Life Enough?, bringing together designers working with discarded or underutilized resources.

At Fabbrica Sassetti, this framework unfolds alongside several parallel exhibitions. The seventh edition of Isola Design Gallery surveys collectible and handcrafted pieces across an international roster, while Rasa — The Indian Collective explores the emotional dimension of design through craft traditions and contemporary reinterpretations. The Dutch Atelier highlights designers based in the Netherlands, emphasizing conceptual clarity and experimentation.

Together, these exhibitions construct a layered narrative around material, process, and identity, positioning waste not as residue but as a starting point. reEDIT makes its European debut with The Upcycled Gambit — Bamboo & Brew Chess Table Set live production and adaptive systems Beyond static displays, several installations activate the venue through process. LE LABO 1.0 by Baguette Studio operates as a live production environment where lamps are formed on-site using remoldable natural wax, foregrounding a reversible and waste-free approach to making. Nearby, IAMMI’s UNIT-01 constructs a translucent modular volume from second-life plastic, while the University of Montenegro’s MOCK UP JUNK LAB rethinks discarded materials through student-led experimentation.

Among the objects that stand out within the broader Isola program is the Brutalist Pink – Vinyl Listening Station by YONT Studio. Originally developed for a hybrid record store in Berlin’s Mitte district, the piece translates the studio’s exploration of raw interiors and music culture into a compact, sculptural listening device. Constructed from a wooden frame layered with dense foam and finished in pigmented epoxy, the object merges storage, playback, and acoustic calibration into a single volume. Its presence in Milan extends the narrative of adaptive reuse and hybrid typologies, where retail, performance, and social space converge. an installation that reframes the chessboard exhibited at Isola’s No Space for Waste exhibition the project draws from the everyday scenes of Xiangqi games The Upcycled Gambit sits within No Space for Waste | image ©designboom the work translates this collective memory into an inhabitable object inviting visitors to gather, sit, and engage YONT Studio’s vinyl listening station | image ©designboom Isola Design Festival 2026, Isola Design Gallery | image ©Anwyn Howarth project info: name: The Upcycled Gambit — Bamboo & Brew Chess Table Set, designer: reEDIT | @re_edit_lab exhibition: No Space For Waste, Isola Design Festival 2026 location: Fabbrica Sassetti, via Filippo Sassetti 31, Milan, Italy