Glass block lamps are exactly what they sound like: lamps built around architectural glass blocks, the kind that were a staple of mid-century building design across New Zealand, Australia, and much of Europe. What makes them interesting is what happens when you put light inside one.
The glass itself
Architectural glass blocks were designed to let light pass through walls while maintaining privacy and structural integrity. They were cast in a range of patterns -- waves, grids, diamonds, bubbles -- each creating a different texture and a different quality of light diffusion. When you illuminate one from within, the effect is soft, ambient, and genuinely beautiful in a way that no manufactured lamp shade quite replicates.
The blocks used in Lumo Bloc lamps were cast in Germany in the 1970s and 80s. They were installed in New Zealand buildings -- bathrooms, commercial entries, stairwells -- and recovered when those buildings were demolished or renovated. Each block is unique. The slight variations in the glass, the minor imperfections, the way the pattern catches light at different angles -- none of that can be replicated in a factory. Read the full story in how reclaimed glass becomes a lamp.
How the lamp works
The glass block sits on a handcrafted wooden base housing a COB LED light bar. In the wireless version, this runs on three AAA batteries and delivers 200 lumens across three brightness settings. In the wired version, it connects via USB to a wall charger operating at 5V DC -- low voltage, safe, and energy efficient. Not sure which suits you? See our cordless vs wired guide.
Five interchangeable acrylic colour lenses slot over the LED to shift the colour of the light: Circadian Red, Serene Blue, Neon Pink, Cosmic Green, and Amber Glow.
Who are they for?
Glass block lamps suit anyone who wants a lamp that is genuinely distinctive -- not mass-produced, not available in every homewares store, and not going to look like everyone else's. They work particularly well as bedside lamps, dining table centrepieces, and in any space where ambient mood lighting matters more than raw brightness. Read more about what mood lighting is and how to create it.
They also make excellent gifts. A Lumo Bloc lamp is the kind of thing people do not buy for themselves but are genuinely delighted to receive.
Shop glass block lamps here -- handcrafted in New Zealand, shipped free to AU and NZ.