Artemide - Gople
Starting from the iconic silhouette of the glass diffuser, Gople proposes new sizes and materials to create different ways of lighting spaces. BIG designs a family of outdoor lights with the freedom and flexibility to suit any space, with an almost nomadic character. The diffuser, made in lightweight and durable plastic, is the central element of the project, and combined with accessories, it brings light into spaces, giving rise to the family of Gople Outdoor.
The different versions interpret a common approach to light that develops close interactions with activities and people. Enabling new ways of using light in outdoor spaces with the utmost freedom, Gople Outdoor can be reused and reinterpreted in multiple spaces and situations.
In-es.artdesign - Out Collection
The lamps of the Out Collection, through a design that encompasses variegated shades and sensations, create the ideal atmosphere for aperitifs, dinners or to enjoy relaxation under the sun or the starry sky. They will allow you to illuminate the garden or terrace after sunset with a variety of shapes and colours, adaptable to any type of space.
Tank 1 out and Tank 2 out's designs are perfect for those who love classic and elegant styles.
The distinctive element of the collections is Nebulite, a particular fibreglass used alone or in combination with other materials and finishes.
Roll & Hill - Half & Half
Half & Half launched in 2017 as the first collaboration between designer Jonah Takagi (with whom Roll & Hill has worked on several designs) and Oslo-based designer Hallgeir Homstvedt. The play between the geometric shapes of the shade and ribbed glass was the starting point for this bold and iconic design, which has now been re-envisioned to include four new colours - green, blue, red and white.
Magic Circus -Wall Lamp Neon
Magic Circus Editions launched the neon collection, an important part of the brand's quest for contemporaneity. The straight lines of the neon lights contrast with the rounded shape of the fluted brass or nickel rods. Graphic wall lights reveal a great modernity thanks to the new finishes available, in line with the time: Black, Red Wine, Red Brick, Green Pine or Blue Ink.
Veronese - Ice
The Ice linear suspension is the latest edition to the Ice collection conceived by designer and architect Reda Amalou.
The collection originates from the desire to create a novel Murano glass element that gives way to limitless ideas. With this inspiration, the designer created a highly textured rectangular sheet of Murano glass hand-laid with a geometric pattern that gently diffuses the light.
This distinct design element has led to a symphony of lighting designs. Each design, in its own way, is brought together by a metal frame with well-defined lines that further complement the graphic nature of the glass. The versatility of the collection is a perfect response to the ever-changing nature of contemporary design.
The collection was originally inaugurated with a wall lamp and later a set of circular suspensions were included followed by a table lamp. The linear suspension is the latest edition to the Ice collection and it comes in different dimensions (80cm/30.5in, 120cm/47.2in, 160cm/63in, 200cm/78.7in) or made to measure.
Fosbery Studio - Cascade
Fosbery Studio introduces The Cascade collection. Created from brass, Irish linen and hand-turned wood, Cascade is inspired by mid-century styling and organic forms. Designed for living and dining areas, its informal yet elegant drapes evoke gentle movement, both as a pendant and wall light.
With many customers looking for lampshades for busy restaurants and hotels, Fosbery understood that shades in high-traffic areas can get damaged due to a build-up of grease and dirt. Traditional lampshades are difficult to clean, so it developed an innovative solution - fabric shades that are removable and machine washable.
As with all Fosbery Studio lights, the Cascade collection is made-to-order with small batches of parts kept in stock to allow for short lead times of two to three weeks. The made-to-order nature of its lights means they can be customised to any combination of lampshade, wood and brass finish. Orders can be placed online, with a visual display of 84 different options and samples available.
HagenHinderdael - Cocoon
Cocoon is a 3d printed decorative pendant celebrating craft and pushing the boundaries of new and sustainable technologies by transforming wood waste into an organic, technologically advanced light.
A collaboration between designers HagenHinderdael and 3d printing specialists Forust, Cocoon presents an innovative way to reduce timber waste through rethinking deforestation and the take-and-make production process. From the form through to its materiality and manufacturing, they sought to develop a product that is not only eco-friendly but fully degradable.
The sculptural form of Cocoon has been developed to resemble an organic structure that speaks to the natural materials being used and creates an opportunity for beautiful protrusions to throw shadows of light onto the surrounding surfaces. The shell itself is made of 3d printed sawdust and has been developed in collaboration with Forust, a US-based company that manufactures wood by using methods that are non-destructive to our planet’s ecology. It comes in two typologies each with its own unique shape. Using ground-breaking 3d printing technology, layers of powdered wood are bound together with lignin into a 250mm wide x 460mm high Cocoon. Once out of the printer, each piece is carefully hand-stained and finished. In this process, there is also the opportunity to finish Cocoon in a wide variety of wood species including natural, oak, teak, and walnut.
The shell also serves as a protective cover, embracing and hiding within it an integrated OLED light source. A slimline technology that is easy on the earth, easy on the eyes, and produced from 85% glass with a balance of organic materials and non-toxic metals, the OLED panel sits effortlessly within the cap of the Cocoon light dispersing light uniformly across the pendant with a soft, warm glow at 3000k light temperature.
Cocoon is not only beautiful in its aesthetic but forward-thinking in its lifecycle - able to avoid its materials ending up back in landfill and instead used in future light productions.
"We also believe our light raises awareness on the important social impact of deforestation," says HagenHinderdael. "Therefore, beyond the waste being recycled in our production, we donate a percentage of each sale to reforestation initiatives.
"Cocoon will make people stop, reconsider, and think beyond the traditions of what is product design to see how new technologies and processes, coupled with the sustainable initiatives of our current environment, have an opportunity to set the trend for the materiality and production of the lighting of the future."
Designers Mind and Women in Lighting host wellbeing webinar
(Online) – Designers Mind and Women in Lighting have come together to host a conversation about the work culture in the design industry, and the impact this has on our wellbeing.
The session, hosted by Designers Mind’s Kaye Preston and Kael Gillam, alongside Martina Frattura, Women in Lighting R.A.W Blogger, is titled ‘Can our Work Culture Co-Exist with our Wellbeing’, and discussed the challenges that are faced in the design world, and the changes that can be made. Areas such as openness, setting boundaries, managing expectations and priorities were all on the agenda.
Intended to have a relaxed, informal feel, the session was a ‘Clubhouse Style’ talk, where the speakers opened the conversation and asked the audience to join in.
The session will took place on Tuesday 22 June at 2.00pm BST.
www.designers-mind.com www.womeninlighting.com
Women in Lighting Awards to be held on 10 June
(Online) – The winners of the first ever Women in Lighting Awards will be announced in an online presentation on 10 Jun 2021 at 1pm BST.
Inspired by the Maya Angelou poem, “Still I Rise”, the awards were created to seek out and celebrate the achievements of women and those who support them, especially in light of the challenges that we have had to endure over the past 18 months.
“The WiL Awards are like no other. They are specifically to highlight the achievements of the WiL community and its supporters. We want to seek out and celebrate the things that you achieved in 2020. They may be large or small, but we still want to know and share them with the world,” said Women in Lighting of the Awards.
Participants were invited to nominate people under the categories of Achievement, Initiatives and Supporters. The winners of each category will be revealed in the online presentation.
The winners will be announced on a live video on YouTube here.
Studio d'Armes - Gigi
Studio d’Armes, in collaboration with Verre d’Onge, unveils its new duo of table and floor lamps: Gigi and Gigi Grand.
This collection is the result of a professional love affair between the Montrealer studio Verre d’Onge and Studio d’Armes. This joint project is the alliance of two domains: the mastery of glass and of light. Its very existence emerges from a creative process focused on pleasure and an exploration of its physical nature, of the sensory experience of its presence in space.
Both Gigi, with their different dimensions, carry distinct personalities. Gigi Grand has presence with its elegant geometry and its refined details, while the smaller Gigi is playful and expresses joy and softness.
In its desire to explore and rethink the classical glass lamp, Studio d’Armes and Verre d’Onge pushed the limits of the glass to create Gigi Grand, which possesses monumental dimensions for this art.
Individually made by a glassblower, Gigi's shades and tones spread throughout the glass, each time creating a unique way tone. Their high-quality lighting emanates from bidirectional light engines and can be dimmed to a warmer shade.
Champagne Action
Founder and Creative Director of Articolo, Nicci Green, caught up with darc Editor Sarah Cullen to give more of an insight into the creation of the Fizi collection and its inspirations.
Exemplifying the truly individual nature of mouth-blown glass, the Fizi Collection, by Australian lighting design studio Articolo, represents the effervescence of light.
Explored across a range of forms – from wall sconce to table lamp and pendant – Fizi is the purest expression of the art of light to emerge from Articolo’s workshop.
“The Fizi collection is a mesmerising explosion of bubbles in champagne-esque effervescence. The design was inspired by a collection of my late grandmother's paperweights that she gifted me when I was a child,” explains Articolo's Founder and Creative Director, Nicci Green. “I love the artisanal nature and nuances of mouth-blown glass and solid metals. The Fizi collection encapsulates this wonder, but it’s also incredibly technical to achieve. Working with our artisan glassblowers to perfect the desired finish has been a long journey with much trial and error. I can’t reveal the exact methodology as that’s something very close to our hearts, however what I can say is no two Fizi balls are ever the same and every piece is made by artisans’ hands and to order.”
Reminiscent of the glass paperweights, the made-to-order Fizi collection comes in both glass spherical orbs and as flattened oblongs of glass, each with a core of champagne-toned bubbled glass. The wall sconces, pendants and table lamps are completed with varying available finishes in brass, polished nickel, bronze, black electroplate and natural stones.
“The unpredictable nature and intricacies of mouth-blown glass means the organic shape of each piece within the Fizi Collection is completely one-of-a-kind,” adds Green. “This beautiful reality means each piece is genuinely unique, casting a shadow on the world as unique as its owner. A bespoke light artwork in itself.”
Suitable for abundant applications across residential and commercial settings, the Fizi collection’s unique bubble detail creates breathtaking shadow play when illuminated, creating an art form from within itself, like a piece of wall or ceiling jewellery.
“The Fizi Ball is one of our Articolo signature collections. The Fizi bubble detailing is impossible to replicate, it represents true light art, or as we know it, ‘art of light’. The design is representative of our commitment to artisanal craft and mouthblown glass,” says Green. “I love shadow play, how ambience is achieved and controlled in the contrast of light and dark.”
Duncan Meerding
What is the concept and inspiration behind the Propeller Blossom? The initial idea came about when I was experimenting with plywood and the grain of the plywood determined which way the petals twisted/bent. I was attempting to create a different form.The final product effectively meshes propeller and floral like forms together and makes a unique flat-pack light.
How long have you been working on the product for? The initial propeller pendant form came about back in 2011 when experimenting with plywood. Throughout 2012 I tried to push this initial form into a fully-fledged, flat-pack lighting product. I hit a range of challenges along the way and had to walk away for a bit. In 2015 I made a bit of a breakthrough in terms of the original design’s manufacturing, creating a fully-fledged lighting product. After showcasing this light at a number of events I wanted to create a new version that was up-scalable in size. After a bit of experimentation in 2019 we managed to create the Propeller Blossom.
What was the most challenging aspect of producing this product? Whilst the Blossom is a follow on from the original Propeller, it was not just a simple up-scale tool that had to be hit in a computer aided drawing programme. In 2017 we developed the Propeller Bloom, which was a big floor installation. From this I realised that using our current production methods, we could not make anything quite as big as the Bloom to hang safely and rigidly, but had to meet somewhere in the middle. There were definitely some challenges creating such a light with only a single fixing point on each blade/petal whilst maintaining such an open, 3D form. This light truly pushed some of the limits in terms of materials and rigidity and this was proven during the prototyping in 2019.
What materials have been used? Can you describe the design process? The materials used are Tasmanian Eucalyptus, powder coated aluminium, Tasmanian Blackwood (Acacia) and various lighting components.The design process involved a lot of experimentation with the lightweight veneer and various glues to laminate the items in their custom form. The design and making processes often go hand in hand for me, and working out design by experimentation in making is especially important to have an understanding of the rigidity of the different materials and how light performs in the form in the real world.
What technologies does the product use? The technology focuses upon how light performs through and around 3D objects. We utilise Edison screw fixtures for this item, allowing for versatility for the end user. Each item is hand-made in our workshop and coupled with this we also use some computer controlled machines such as laser cutters.
Describe the Propeller Blossom in three words? Calming, nature-inspired, hand-made.
What makes this light different to other lighting products available? It’s a bit of fun executed in a pared-down simple way that we hope still appeals to a wide audience.
What kind of environments / clients is the Propeller Blossom suitable for? This item is intended for larger spaces, be it larger commercial foyers/entry ways or stairwells in larger domestic homes. The item has a lot of presence as shown by the photo in our studio workshop. Blossom is 85cm cubed (approximately).
What makes this product different to other lighting products available on the market? These lights have been designed from an alternative sensory experience. The light effect from this design is relaxing and organic, quite similar to the dappled light effect found underneath a forest canopy. As I am legally blind with less than 5% vision concentrated around the periphery, I am hyper aware of light moving through a space, and I believe my unique sensory experience can help enhance everyone’s experience in a space.
Another large plus for this feature light, is that the item is relatively light and compact when in transit and quite easy to assemble at the other end.
