Polybion™ and Natural Urbano unveil Lapso, a sculptural lamp hand-crafted with Celium™, in its translucent version, and the first interior design product born from their collaboration.
Lapso is the result of a collaboration between Natural Urbano, the Mexico-based design studio founded by Sebastián Beltrán and Lorena Márquez, and Polybion™, the biomaterials company behind Celium™- Premium Cultivated Cellulose. Developed over the course of a year, the project marks Polybion’s first interior design product and signals the arrival of cultivated bacterial cellulose into the field of contemporary design. It positions Mexico at the intersection of design and biology, opening new possibilities for the industry.
The lamp was first unveiled at The Biofab Fair by Biofabricate during the London Design Festival on September 16–17, 2025, where it drew attention as a pioneering example of a biomaterial applied to lighting design. Today, Lapso is available to order directly through Natural Urbano’s website, with each piece shipping alongside a certificate of authenticity.
Conceived as a lamp that feels alive, Lapso treats illumination as an interval rather than a static source. Made with Celium™, in its translucent version, the material shifts with light to reveal gradients, textures, and a quiet rhythm. Lapso is not a fixed object but a presence that changes with context, distance, and time.
“We set out to create a presence that changes with light and context. With Celium™, we worked with a material that responds to its environment. Lapso holds a pause when off and becomes atmosphere when on — a functional object with sculptural intent.” — Lorena Márquez, Co-Founder and Director, Natural Urbano
The lamp is available in two editions: Natural, with a honey-toned hue that reflects the material’s origin, and Humo, a dyed darker variation. In both versions, each lamp is singular and cannot be replicated. As bacteria grow, it forms cellulose sheets with patterns that are never identical. Subtle shifts in texture, density, and tone emerge naturally. These variations are signatures, giving every lamp its own character.
“From the beginning, we wanted it to feel like a living piece. The design grew from what the material allowed and what it is. It evokes a breathing skin, something evolving — a sculptural light that is more than a lamp, inviting you to pause and notice.” — Sebastián Beltrán, Founder and Director, Natural Urbano
Over a year of joint development, the teams iterated on structure, edge treatment, stitch lines, finishing, and thickness, moving from early studies to a removable light-diffusing screen that is clean, durable, and serviceable. The work paired precision with the material’s living language. Lapso marks the entry of cultivated bacterial cellulose into contemporary lighting, a collaboration where design and biology converge.
Lapso has been unveiled at The Biofab Fair by Biofabricate in London during the London Design Week on September 16–17, 2025, and it is available to order through Natural Urbano’s website.
Credits
Design and fabrication: Natural Urbano
Material: Celium™ by Polybion™
Photography: Claudia Armida GALAR and Verónica Sojo
