THE IDEA OF the luminaire as light installation or sculpture is hardly new. Ingo Maurer’s Porca Miseria! – exploding on to the scene in 1994 – springs immediately to mind, and other contemporary examples come crowding after it. And it is not just a modern phenomenon – after all, what else is a traditional chandelier?
But as Euroluce showed this year, not only have light fittings themselves become in many cases like works of art, but the potential for individuality and customisation has grown enormously. The miniaturisation and modularity facilitated by new technologies has unleashed many more possibilities for more expressive forms of lighting. One way or another, specifiers and designers have a lot more tools in their lighting box.
NUVEM OUTDOOR MODULAR SYSTEM
DESIGNED BY MIGUEL ARRUDA FOR SLAMP
Slamp’s system certainly pushes the boundaries way beyond the average bollard or bulkhead when it comes to the creative possibilities of outdoor lighting. Its applications range from wall decoration – ‘a sort of technological ivy, even on building façades’ – to a shading element or even waterproof lighting structure.
As with the Italian company’s interior version (launched in 2019), the Nuvem Outdoor Modular System can be customised to create one-of-a-kind concepts.
The individual luminous V0 polycarbonate modules each measure 1m2 (96cm x 103.5cm x 6cm). The hexagonal elements are connected through a simple system that allows free expansion in every direction, with the connection secured manually using a ‘clipper’ tool. Clips can be removed to modify connections between modules, allowing the installation to evolve over time without a lot of technical faff.
The lighting system consists of integrated 4.2W LED (500lm, 3000K) IP65 bidirectional light units. These can be added according to the project needs at different points of the composition or individual modules. Up to six light units can be connected to a single electrical point, using a junction light case that allows wires to converge in one location. Specialised cable clamps can be used to manage the wiring and keep it discreet.
The ceiling anchoring system allows the suspension cables to be adjusted, which means each module can sit at different heights for more flexibility. Similarly, the wall anchoring system enables designers to fix the modules at different distances from the wall, playing with the depth and movement of the composition. www.slamp.com/en
UTOPIA
DAVIDE GROPPI
Groppi continues his mission to achieve the ultimate minimalism with the Utopia wall system. With an LED strip of just 3mm thick, it runs from wall to wall, and can be bent in space using a dedicated accessory. The stainless steel profile, available in 6m and 12m lengths, can be installed in spaces with low ceilings, with a recommended installation height of more than 2.3m from the floor. It is also available with double light emission in its linear version. Finished in black, it comes in two colour temperatures: 2700K (6079lm) and 3000K, (6322lm), both CRI 90.
‘Utopia is a project on the limit state of light, the research for the minimum dimension necessary for pure and essential lighting,’ says the Groppi webite. www.davidegroppi.com
LOOMO
LASVIT
Designed by Maxim Velcovský, Lasvit’s art director, the Loomo wall sconce is inspired by textile craftsmanship, translating the texture of woven fabric into a smooth sculptured surface, ‘where glass and light intertwine to create an ambient glow’.
The circular fitting is available in two (large and small) sizes, each defined by a distinctive golden halo. It can be used individually or combined for a more dramatic effect.
‘It’s like playing with light,’ Velcovský told Wallpaper, ‘making the most of every centimetre to shift the atmosphere of a space.’
DANSI
ALESSANDRO ZAMBELLI FOR LUCEPLAN
There’s an irresistible resemblance to Nessie the Loch Ness Monster in one of the more obvious configurations of Dansi, but the basic concept, ‘inspired by the tenets of kinetic art’, is more about creating relationships between the four geometric figures than mythical monsters.
A family of wall lamps, the four diecast geometric forms are like the head and tail of a ‘thread’ with a curved form, and two arches (symmetrical and asymmetric). The idea is to use the sculptural forms and their interaction with light to create a variety of compositions. ‘They are not just lighting objects, but also luminous sculptures that establish a dialogue with surfaces, creating ever-changing atmospheres, depending on the composition,’ says Luceplan.
When lit, the LED matrix, softened by a diffuser, is always aimed at the wall – installed in such a way as to remain at a distance less than or equal to 100mm from the surface – creating a uniform, discreet but functional glow.
They form a striking composition even in the off state. ‘In daylight, the geometric forms emerge in their sculptural essence, revealing essential lines and clear volumes,’ says designer Alessandro Zambelli. ‘As the night falls, they emanate an unexpected brightness that adds a new, almost surreal dimension.’
The Dansi components come in white and glossy finishes. www.luceplan.com
ARCTIC
BIG FOR ARTEMIDE
You might need to brush up on your geometry for this one. Artemide describes the Arctic range as ‘a collection of lamps that reflect and deconstruct reality, brought to life through their own light, natural light, and the surrounding environment’. They are formed from geometric elements that break apart and reassemble in modular compositions, playing with reflections.
‘Arctic is inspired by the geometric formations of ice crystals,’ says Jakob Lange of BIG. ‘By combining triangles and pentagons, we created a sculptural crystal that elegantly captures and refracts light at its core.’
The final shape is an Archimedean solid without external faces, the structure emerging from the projection of the pentagonal sides radiating from the centre. (Archimedean solids are a set of 13 convex polyhedral, the faces of which are regular polygons, but not all alike, and whose vertices are all symmetric to each other.)
At the core of the fitting is a spherical diffuser, into which truncated pentagonal pyramids are fitted. As these align at their vertices, they reconstruct the solid form.
The outcome is a multitude of mirrored surfaces, positioned side by side and facing each other, multiplying in perception, and shifting with the viewpoint and its surroundings.
The heart of the lamp contains all its active components, with a heat-dissipating structure that supports a series of LED circuits, ensuring an even 360º light distribution. The perception is of a perfectly diffused, uniform sphere.
The diffuser surfaces can be either transparent or mirrored, interacting differently with light. In both versions, they are horizontally etched with precision-calculated incisions to control and diffuse the light.
Arctic is available in pendant, ceiling-mounted and table/floor versions, or can be integrated into a space. All are 25W and 55cm in diameter. www.artemide.com
PÒTA!
CATELLANI & SMITH
The Pòta! family of lamps, which combines glass and brass with contemporary LED filament technology, features four models, including the spheroidal pendant lamp. It’s available in two sizes: a 50cm-diameter version (with 18 ELV LEDs) or 85cm (with 36 ELV LEDs).
A pendant version with plug driver and ceiling-to-floor installation shares the same dimensions and lighting elements, the difference lying in the distinctive anvil-shaped counterweight that adds balance and character to the structure.
In the wall version, with 20 ELV LEDs, slender brass rods intersect to create a geometric pattern. Available with a wall-mounted base or with a plug driver, this model can be installed individually or combined with multiple modules to create striking lighting compositions.
‘It is designed to imagine new shapes and compositions in which light is the focal element around which slender, voluminous yet light structures take shape, and in which the lighting units are spread to create a contrasting interplay between order and disorder,’ says designer Enzo Catellani. www.catellanismith.com/en
LINKED
MICHAEL ANASTASSIADES FOR FLOS
Linked by Michael Anastassiades is a modular hanging lamp comprising a series of luminous linear glass links, each attached to the next simply by hooking the links one-by-one using its dedicated fastening point. As they are hooked on, they light up, creating a vertical dotted line of light.
‘The arrangement of links can be spontaneous or carefully planned – selected to achieve the desired drop,’ explains Anastassiades. ‘The chains hang like jewellery from the ceiling and can be combined to divide a space.’
The idea came when Anastassiades walked into a Sicilian church where chains of various lengths, from which oil lamps hung, were lit by the afternoon sun. In his interpretation a luminous sphere can be hung at the end of the glowing chain, evoking the original image. ‘Some lines would be left without anything hanging from them, a gesture of transferring light, like the afternoon sun rays from above,’ he says.
The modular elements are borosilicate glass tubes, linear and curved at both ends, resembling a chain link. The tubular element comes in three different lengths (120cm, 80cm and 40cm) and is just 15mm in diameter, with a 25mm curvature radius. Inside each element is an LED light source.
The individual elements are joined using a solution already applied in other modular collections by Anastassiades, such as Arrangements and Coordinates: spring-loaded connectors (pogo pins) that enable electrical transmission from one link to the next. The 400mm luminous sphere, opaline white triplex blown glass, can be hung from the final hook.
The light source, custom-developed by Flos for this system, consists of LED strips (600lm/m, 2700K, CRI 90) enclosed in a silicone diffuser tube that ensures uniform 360º light distribution. This tube is then wrapped in a diffusing sheath, allowing it to slide smoothly inside the glass tube and reach into the curved ends of the form.
Like the links of a chain, each element can be suspended on its own or combined in linear sequences of various lengths, ideal even for high ceilings. A chandelier-style composition, formed by repeating elements, creates curtains of light that resemble luminous jewellery. Using them with the luminous sphere allows targeted illumination over a specific point, such as a dining or worktable. www.flos.com
Lasvit’s theme at Euroluce was Soaked in Light and featured Splash at the heart of its display. A glass lighting installation by Lasvit designer Martin Gallo, it conveyed the emotional resonance of water and its fluid, ever-changing forms. Designed to evoke a spectrum of moods – from the serenity of a calm pond, through the joy of children splashing in puddles, to the power of a raging river – the fused-glass sculpture reflected the shifting nature of water and light.
BRÉTEMA
A-EMOTIONAL
Despite an ethereal appearance – it is inspired by ‘the superimposition of clouds and the Atlantic sky’ – Brétema is a compositional system made from painted steel. The overlapping layers and volumes, combined with the light that washes over the different elements, creates a visual lightness and allows for unlimited configurations.
Suspended from a large white disc, the elements come in three sizes (200cm x 150cm x 100cm; 250cm x 200cm x 100cm; 300cm x 230cm x 100cm) and are illuminated by three 12W LEDs. www.a-emotionallight.com
