Compiled by Peter Sobchak
Up North
A Red Dot winner, the Igloo pendant lighting system designed by Milan-based Studio Klass for Italian outfit FontanaArte is an innovative, self-supporting modular system that allows users to connect up to 100 modules to just one power supply. The double shell allows for both a vertical and horizontal installation of the modules, while modules without LEDs can also be included. www.fontanaarte.com
Luxe Life
Axo Light has launched the Hoops series of ceiling and pendant lights, which boast dramatic and interchangeable swirls of hoop-like shapes and sizes. Designed by Giovanni Barbato, each swirl surrounds a cylindrical light-body housing holding one or two LED light sources per unit, and all light bodies and tubular metal swirls are finished in 24-karat gold. www.axolightusa.com
New Market
Humanscale, known for its workstations task lighting products, has entered the architectural lighting arena with the purchase of Todd Bracher’s cylindrical Vessel. Made of quartz crystal and available in both pendant and sconce options, Vessel is designed to cast a soft circle of glare-free, uniform white light, making it well-suited for hospitality and residential lighting settings. www.humanscale.com
Right at Home
New Zealand design house Resident debuted the Mesh Space in mid-2015, but it is now making its way to North America. Designed by Flynn Talbot in both a wall and ceiling mount version, Mesh is a flattened mesh dome reflecting light from a LED ring onto surfaces below. www.resident.co.nz
Soft Charm
Sant is a dimmable linear LED pendant luminaire that can be installed either as an individual light or as a continuous lighting system. An opal diffuser allows users to choose warm-white (2,700 kelvins) to cold-white (6,500 kelvins). Designed by RO-Architecten (Rob van Beek) for Czech-based HALLA, Sant won a 2015 Red Dot Award. www.halla.eu
Going Al Fresco
Anglepoise has reengineered the Giant for outdoor environments, incorporating marine-grade stainless steel fittings, a sealed light unit and durable silicone rubber cable. The Original 1227 Giant Outdoor Collection includes a floor lamp and articulated wall light in 15 colours, turning a garden terrace into a striking al fresco room. Available in Canada from Klaus. www.anglepoise.com
It’s All Connected
The Infra-Structure collection is Vincent Van Duysen’s reinterpretation of a typical Bauhaus design language, utilizing a tubular structure to create a network of light within the space. The collection is composed of a 24V track using Flos’ magnetic technology for power distribution and luminaries installation. But be patient: Flos isn’t making this system available in North America until 2017. www.usa.flos.com
Sticks to You
The Running Magnet 2.0 architectural lighting system from Flos was originally designed for use in retail displays where frequent changes are typical, but can also find use in hospitality, office and residential environments. Linear LED and accent fixtures can be exchanged and re-positioned without tools, connecting automatically through the magic of magnets. www.usa.flos.com
Show-off
Hank, a new lighting apparatus from Swedish company D75, is a lamp, a hanger and a design piece all-in-one, making it ideal for retail environments. The tubes come in various widths with a unique custom dimmer feature, and are available in shades of cumulus white, new denim blue, curb grey and raw steel. www.d75.se
Groovy Baby!
The new Inn Side indoor/outdoor lamp designed by Gemma Bernal for B.lux is a reinterpretation of the classic concept lamp, evoking the decorative lighting of the 1960s. A waterproof light structure made of white polyethylene is what makes it suitable for outdoor use, and comes in florescent or LED options. www.grupoblux.com
Ahoy Matey!
Captain Flint, by Michael Anastassiades for Flos, is a dual-purpose floor lamp, with an up-lighter illuminating the space with ambient lighting and the ability to be rotated in a complete circle – directed up, down or to the side – and dimmed for reading. Available in brass with white marble or anthracite with black marble. www.usa.flos.com
No Sensationalism
The Central floor and suspension lamp, designed by Formfjord for Serien Lighting, is focused on doing simple things well. For example, the height of Central Floor , which measures over two meters at its maximum, can be adjusted both vertically and horizontally via delicate telescopic arm, yet always keeping the controls within reach. www.serien.com
Merchants of Venice
In the Venetian dialect caiigo means fog, inspiring one of Marco Zito’s latest designs for Foscarini: reminiscent of the dreamlike light created by mist rising off the canals of Venice in the early morning hours, and achieved using a blown glass diffuser that hovers somewhere between white and transparent. www.foscarini.com
All in the Family
Zumtobel should be proud: three of their products have been recognized in the Red Dot Design award competition. Intro, Axon and Sequence all impressed the 2015 Red Dot Award: Product Design jury. The Sequence office LED luminaire even claimed the prestigious Red Dot: Best of the Best award in the Product Design category thanks to a highly sophisticated design approach. www.zumtobel.com