Inaugural Silhouette Awards winners announced
(Global) – The winners of the inaugural Silhouette Awards were announced in an online ceremony last week.
The awards, curated by Archifos and Parrot PR & Marketing, aim to shine a light on emerging talent within the lighting industry, honouring young designers who have the vision and ambition to steer and lead the lighting industry in the coming years.
A judging panel of 20 influential senior lighting designers selected the 20 winning entrants – each has been paired with a mentor from the panel of judges.
Entries were received from candidates around the world, spanning 25 countries, all demonstrating varying levels of experience. With an unexpected percentage of female entrants (79%), the judging panel, who reviewed the entries independently, were all aligned with the final selection showcasing the very best of the industry’s talent with an outstanding all-female winners line-up.
Successful candidates will now be individually supported by one of the programme’s 20 mentors for the next six months and beyond as they progress in their careers. With the support of the Silhouette Awards’ array of sponsors and supporters, the winners have been rewarded with the opportunity to enhance their skillset, pursue their career ambitions and add value to the creativity of the industry, raising the bar for talent around the world.
The 2022 winners and their mentor partnerships are:
- Valeriya Gorelova (Mentor: Anna Sbokou)
- Rosa Alvarez de Arcaya (Mentor: Beata Denton)
- Francesca Feltrin (Mentor: Dario Nunez Salazar)
- Dipali Shirsat (Mentor: David Gilbey)
- Laura Arroyo Rocha (Mentor: Fernando Mazzetti)
- Alessandra de Martino (Mentor: Jonathan Rush)
- Swathi Madhi (Mentor: Lara Elbaz)
- Elsa Sawma (Mentor: Linus Lopez)
- Momena Saleem (Mentor: Marci Song)
- Frankie Boyle (Mentor: Marcus Steffen)
- Qistina Ahmad Ali (Mentor: Martin Klaasen)
- Beatrice Bertolini (Mentor: Melissa Mak)
- Elena Volpi (Mentor: Michael Grubb)
- Africa Sabé Dausà (Mentor: Monica Luz Lobo)
- Iris Molendijk (Mentor: Rouzana Kopti)
- Janice Lu (Mentor: Ruth Kelly Waskett)
- Gabi Korac (Mentor: Sam Koerbel)
- Doreen Colling (Mentor: Star Davis)
- Rebecca Mintz (Mentor: Suzan Tillotson)
- Cristina Gil Venegas (Mentor: Victor Palacio)
Eve Gaut, Co-Founder, Parrot PR & Marketing commented: “The Silhouette Awards was set up to recognise the future leaders of the lighting industry and showcase the very best of the best. The calibre of entries has far surpassed our expectations, and we were so proud to receive submissions from all over the world, clearly demonstrating the inclusivity of the industry and the appetite for this type of initiative.
“We are immensely grateful to all supporters, sponsors and mentors who have not only given up their time on the judging panel, but also committed to a further six months guiding these young professionals and helping them to advance on their individual career paths.”
Katia Kolovea, Co-Founder, Archifos, added: “From the initial conception of the Silhouette Awards, it was essential for both Parrot and Archifos to not only recognise the talent of the industry’s rising stars, but to offer guidance and support to the winners on their future careers.
“We were surprised to realise that, despite the judging panel individually reviewing each entry, all 20 winners of the first Silhouette Awards are female. We are very much looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the next edition of this awards programme, and I would personally like to thank everyone that has been involved so far in helping us to achieve our longstanding ambition to showcase the talent of the future.
The journey is really only just beginning as we look forward and support these twenty new mentor-mentee relationships as they flourish and achieve great things together.”
Sustainable Lighting Design podcast passes 1,500 listeners
(Online) – A new podcast dedicated to sustainability and wellbeing in the lighting design process has surpassed 1,500 listeners.
The show, titled Sustainable Lighting Design, is led by Isabel Villar and Maha Shalaby, lighting designer and architect and sustainability specialist respectively at White Arkitekter in Stockholm, Sweden. Villar and Shalaby hope that the podcast will act as an “interdisciplinary ‘Research in Practice’ project, challenging the status quo of lighting design”.
To date, the show has released seven episodes, covering a variety of key topics within the lighting design field; from daylighting and protecting the dark sky, to circularity, WELL certification and Chronobiology – with each episode featuring an expert guest.
All episodes are available to listen to on Spotify here.
Ember Lighting launches LightBulb Lab initiative
(UK) – Managed lighting supplier Ember Lighting has announced the launch of its brand-new industry resource; the LightBulb Lab.
The LightBulb Lab is an online collection of useful information, curated by Ember Lighting founders Marcus Steffen and Gresh Braglewicz. The partners have brought together their expert knowledge and drawn on their collective decades of first-hand lighting industry experience to answer some of the burning questions that clients, architects, interior designers and others may have.
LightBulb Lab brings together Q&As, step-by-steps and how-to guides to address a plethora of issues and queries. The online resources cover topics such as different ways of dimming LED lights, how to avoid project delays and the questions you should ask when sourcing a lighting designer.
Ember Lighting aims to redefine the lighting supply service – where most lighting suppliers just provide the components, Ember Lighting nurtures its clients wants and needs by project managing a lighting transformation from start to finish.
The LightBulb Lab is a further example of where Ember Lighting has evolved with the lighting community; responding to the ever-growing needs for knowledge and industry insight.
Marcus Steffen, co-owner of Ember Lighting and owner of MS Lighting Design, said: “Working in the lighting industry, we recognised the need for information as the sector and solutions are changing at such a rapid pace. We spotted a gap for an all-encompassing knowledge hub, and the idea for the LightBulb Lab was born.”
Ember Lighting co-owner and owner of Capital Rewire, Gresh Braglewicz, added: “Our collective experience and expertise puts us in a strong position to share our knowledge with the wider industry. We’re confident the LightBulb Lab is going to become a ‘go-to’ resource across the sector. We’re already planning its expansion and the Ember Lighting team is excited about the future as we evolve and grow.”
The LightBulb Lab was soft launched in December with a small event before Christmas 2021. A number of professionals from the design community came together at the Lutron Electronics showroom in London to experience the LightBulb Lab, as well as offer final thoughts on useability before the national roll-out.
www.emberlighting.co.uk/the-lightbulb-lab
Mayfair Hotel Project Focus
The Mayfair Townhouse luxury hotel has received a stunning design overhaul from Goddard Littlefair and Kate & Sam Lighting Designers. Inspired by the flamboyant Oscar Wilde and his contemporaries, the design duo revisit the lighting concept, in conversation with darc editor Sarah Cullen.
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
kateandsam.co.uk
Diversity in Design: Queer Equality
Continuing the Diversity in Design theme for this year’s [d]arc thoughts, the final talk on the topic covers the lighting and design industry’s inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community and how companies and associations are working to ensure their workplaces are a safe and inclusive space.
Moderated by darc editor Sarah Cullen, panelists include Sophie O'Rourke (Nulty), Colin Ball (BDP) and Emma Cogswell (Skills Army, IALD).
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
nultylighting.co.uk
bdp.com
skillsarmy.co.uk
iald.org
Trends in Decorative Lighting
In this panel, moderated by darc editor Sarah Cullen, participants discuss how decorative lighting is currently being specified, what designers are asking for and how manufacturers are responding, while looking at challenges within the sector and assessing whether Brexit is impacting what's possible on a project and influencing design.
Panelists include Anna Burles (Run For The Hills), Scott Richler (Gabriel Scott), Mark Harper (Dernier & Hamlyn) and Marvin George (Foundry).
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
runforthehills.com
gabriel-scott.com
dernier-hamlyn.com
foundry.london
Women in Lighting for Gender Equality
Following a recent survey on gender equality in the lighting industry carried out by Women in Lighting, darc editor Sarah Cullen sits down with a panel of WIL supporters to discuss women in leadership, women and work/life balance, and how we can fight gender bias together. This talk was part of a Diversity in Design series tackling issues surrounding gender, race and sexuality in the lighting design industry.
Panelists included Ruth Kelly Waskett (Hoare Lea, SLL), Marcus Steffen (MS Lighting Design), Krishna Mistry (Mistry Lighting) and James Poore (JPLD).
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
womeninlighting.com
hoarelea.com
mslightingdesign.co.uk
mistrylighting.com
jpld.co.uk
Technology & Decorative Design
Product designer Samuel Wilkinson and Simeon Chilvers of Cameron Design House sit down with darc editor Sarah Cullen to discuss how technology continues to push product design forward within the decorative lighting sector; opening up more opportunities for specification and unique applications.
Held as part of the [d]arc thoughts programme at [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London, in association with Lutron.
darcroom.com
lutron.com/europe
samuelwilkinson.com
camerondesignhouse.com
Cerno - BDNY product launches
Cerno reflects on its time at BDNY, at the end of 2021, where it introduced multiple new designs and welcomed attendees direct feedback. This video highlights some of these latest products along with a brief chat with Co-Founder Nick Sheridan.
Design Shanghai reconfirms 2022 dates
(China) - Design Shanghai, one of Asia’s largest international design event series, reconfirms dates for this year’s shows.
The series, which now covers three key cultural and commercial hubs in China, is set to welcome exhibitors and visitors to Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen. The 2022 events will attract leading international and Chinese manufacturers, design-led brands, global industry leaders, architects, collectors, interior designers and design enthusiasts, alongside dynamic cultural programming unique to each city.
Celebrating its ninth year, the sold out event Design Shanghai returns to the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center from 9-12 June 2022. Welcoming over 70,000 professionals and visitors over four days, Design Shanghai showcases more than 400 international brands from 30 countries and regions. The sold-out event will also introduce over 100 new exhibitors to the lineup of international and Chinese brands, alongside the world-renowned series of Forum talks from visionaries and innovators across the design and architecture sphere.
Design China Beijing will follow on 21-23 September and reveals a new venue and new vision for 2022, which include China’s first Sustainability in Design summit. Set within the remarkable Beijing Exhibition Centre, Design China Beijing brings together the industry's largest concentration of architectural and design thought leaders to share ideas and exchange global perspectives. The vision for this year’s show aims to push ‘beyond sustainability’ amid global climate crisis concerns and goes further than its role as an industry trade fair.
Martinelli Luce launches light contest
(Italy) - Martinelli Luce launches the Martinelli Luce Lighting Contest in collaboration with Desall, an online platform specialised in design competitions, with a community of over 130,000 creatives, planners, architects and designers in over 200 countries around the world.
Entry will be open until April 28, 2022, for proposals relating to the design of a suspension lamp dedicated to the home environment, and in particular to the living area of the house.
The product must embody the design philosophy of Martinelli Luce, that offers a catalogue of multiple collections of lamps characterised by minimalism, dynamism, modularity, seriality, geometric shapes and references to the natural world. The requested lamp should possess a premium look and convey a high aesthetic level, quality, innovation, synthesis and/or research in the field of environmental sustainability.
The winner will be announced by the end of June 2022.
Donizetti Theatre, Italy
Catellani & Smith lighting shines in Bergamo’s Donizetti Theatre. The renovation work that began in 2019 on the historical Donizetti Theatre in Bergamo - which takes its name from the world-famous composer native to the city – has now been completed.
With a history stretching back over more than two centuries, the Theatre is a prestigious, lively centre of culture and social life for Bergamo, thanks to the numerous events organised over the years.
The complex renovation and restoration project involved the functional renovation of all the boxes, the ceiling of the stalls and the foyer, as well as the reorganisation and reconstruction of a number of areas, such as the room for the orchestra in the area beneath the stalls, the orchestra pit, the dressing rooms, the ticket office, the bars, the offices in the west wing, the rehearsal rooms and the areas reserved for catering and activities for the public. The decorative elements were also subjected to restoration of a mainly conservative nature, consisting of cleaning and retouching the paintings on the ceilings and walls.
As for the exterior of the building, the redevelopment project regarded the main façade, the sides and the scenic tower. For all the sections, the materials used were chosen with a view to guaranteeing continuity with the original structure, not only in order to preserve the architectural elements, but also to transmit a sign of innovation and technology to the new appearance of the Theatre.
In this scenario, Catellani & Smith was chosen to provide the lighting for part of the renovation project, with creations immediately visible right from the large foyer of the theatre, featuring a large, spectacular frescoed wall, where a series of Medousê W hemispheres - in transparent glass and with a deliberately uneven surface – have been installed in sequence on the columns.
On the upper floor, and visible from the outside through the large windows of the building, which look out onto the city’s famous “Sentierone” tree-lined avenue, visitors can admire the 56 Petits Bijoux and Macchina della Luce ceiling lamps, two models with a striking visual impact that blend beautifully into the splendour of the setting.
Installed in the space immediately adjacent to the music rooms, the 56 Petits Bijoux lamps are composed of a lightweight structure, shaped by a composition of brass circles with different dimensions.
Supporting each other with slender cables, the circles create the sensation of a lamp floating, suspended and free, in the space that occupies the large hall. Like little guardians of the light, transparent covers positioned on the circles enclose high light efficiency LED lights producing a total of 8008lm.
Two elegant Macchina della Luce lamps, composed of disks of different diameters covered in gold-coloured leaf, are featured in the Missiroli Hall, filling it with their golden light.
Finally, the modern lines of a Lederam C180, installed on the ceiling of one of the halls in the Donizetti Theatre, enhance the splendid frescoes depicting floral motifs and female figures, striking an interesting contrast with the purple walls.
The gold-coloured leaf that covers the circular screen of Lederam C180 creates a sense of continuity with the golden ceiling, as does the satin rod that supports the swivelling disk that contains a COB LED module.
