Vibia wins coveted Best decorative light award
UK- Vibia wins [d]arc awards 2023 Decorative Kit category for Array pendant.
On 27 March, Spanish lighting brand Vibia won the [d]arc award at fabric London after receiving the most votes in an exclusive peer-to-peer voting system.
Designed by Umut Yamac in collaboration with Vibia, the Array manipulates technically-processed threads stretched between two rings, forming conical and cylindrical shapes that can be combined for installation. Balanced on aluminium rings, the concealed light sourced within the lower ring produces a gradient effect, combining soft downlighting and enchanting upwards glow. Find more about Vibia’s Array via www.darcawards.com/decorative-kit-2023
370 entries worldwide were submitted to this year’s awards with more than 11,000 votes cast. Before voting all entries were shortlisted by a team of lighting designers: Eugenia Cheng, LightOrigin Studio; Andrea Levratti, Lightera; Jenny Bland, Lightheory Studio; Pinar Onatm P.ERO Lighting Design; Nicolas Houel, l’Observatoire de la nuit; Sophya Acosta, Sophya Acosta Lighting Design Studio.
The 80s themed awards party hosted by darc media and creative partners Light Collective. 600 guests attended with 90% of which were designers.
The evening included neon inspired light art installations, 80s food and dress code, a retro video game arcade sponsored by Lutron, Alexy’s Revenge’ selfie spot provided by Unibox, and UV face paint.
The light art installations were provided by manufacturer sponsors who partnered with lighting design studios to design something inspiring, fun but sustainable within a £600 materials budget.
Into and Fibr8 took the award for best installation for their compilation tape inspired installation, ‘Now That’s What I Call Darc’, which used Fibr8’s Laser-Powered Fibre Optic Light Lines.
2023 [d]arc awards manufacturer partners and installation teams:
- Applelec and Nulty+ – “TM Tetris”
- Architectural FX and dpa lighting consultants – “Murder on the Dance Floor”
- Designed Architectural Lighting and Delta Lighting Design – “Blockbustetris”
- ELR and Equation – “Party Light Out”
- Fibr8 and Into Lighting – “Now That’s What I Call darc”
- Formalighting and Foster + Partners – “Saturday Night Live”
- Kingfisher Lighting and Arup – “Flicker of Fear”
- No Grey Area and Michael Grubb Studio – “Let’s Get Physical”
- Proled and Buro Happold – “Illuminated Dreamscapes”
- Rako Controls and Lighting Design Studio – “Top of the Crops”
- Radiant Architectural Lighting and BDP – “Pac Man”
- Signify and Cundall – “A Fruity Place to Dance”
- Thorn Lighting and Hoare Lea – ‘The darc 80s”
- Vivalyte and Light Bureau – “Voguelicious”
All category winners from the 2023 [d]arc awards included:
Places – High Budget: Chapel of Sound, China by Beijing Ning Field Lighting Design
Places – Low Budget: Artifact Bar, Hong Kong by LightOrigin Studio
Spaces – High: The Dark Line, Taiwan by Artec Studio
Spaces – Low: Bùnquers del Castell de la Trinitat, Spain by Atelier Medina Querini
Structures – High: Islamic Arts Biennale Jeddah, Saudi Arabia by Glare
Structures – Low: St Patrick’s Church, Ireland by Dark Source
Art – High: Inner Peace, UK by Foster + Partners
Art – Low: Reverberating Light, USA by lightexture
Art – Bespoke: Garlo I Chaise Longue, UK by Marina Garlo
Event: Amsterdam Light Festival Edition 12, Netherlands
Kit – Architectural Interior: Cometa Q4 by DGA
Kit – Architectural Exterior: Mini G-Cat by Stoane Lighting
Kit – Decorative: Array by Vibia
Kit – Technology: Laser-Powered Fibre Optic Light Lines by Fibr8
The darc awards is supported by the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and the Society of Light + Lighting (SLL). The awards are curated by Light Collective alongside darc media and will be celebrating its 10th anniversary at the 2024 awards.
Watch the full awards at www.youtube.com/[d]arcawards-liveatfabricnightclub
