The Sankofa Project — restored chair, bench, and stool arranged outdoors

The studio, street-facing

The Sankofa Project

The Sankofa project is the collaborative arm of the studio, where direct engagement with the public takes place, by breathing new life into materials they have discarded. It operates as both an intervention and invitation where forgotten objects are embraced not as waste, but the starting point for renewal.

Discarded furniture and overlooked items are collected, restored and given a new architectural presence. What was previously abandoned transforms into pieces that capture a story of their past and present-future.

TEMMENG's intention with the project is rooted in the philosophy of Sankofa, the act of returning to retrieve what has been left behind. The project model is to reflect back on the object's history or potential past, in order to move forward. In transforming waste into something more, it births a new narrative evolving them into culturally commanding pieces.

01

Retrieve

Discarded furniture and forgotten objects are collected from streets, estates, and abandoned spaces.

Retrieve — a salvaged spindle-back chair, restored and finished in cobalt blue

02

Restore

Each object is studied, stripped, and stabilised — honouring what it was before reshaping what it becomes.

Restore — a reclaimed bench stripped and relacquered in black with an ochre cushion

03

Reimagine

Through material intervention, the piece is given new architectural presence and cultural intent.

Reimagine — a rebuilt serving cart in deep blue, staged with glassware
“Nothing is without potential and what begins on the street evolves into pieces that can exist in homes and public spaces”
The Sankofa Project — restored piece 1
The Sankofa Project — restored piece 2
The Sankofa Project — restored piece 3
The Sankofa Project — restored piece 4

Have something to give a second life?

The studio welcomes worn objects, salvaged materials, and pieces with a past. Tell us what you have.

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