In Milan’s city showrooms, new designs were launched and tributes paid to classic icons. And in one of the side streets, we discovered a newcomer that made us smile…

PURE FUN

Featured above – shades, a new collection of lamps with silicone shades by SowdenLight, allows for multiple configuration possibilities thanks to the modularity of the components. Great for the diffusion of light and available in bright colours, the shades are durable and entirely washable. The collection includes pendant lamps, table lights, floor lamps and a portable battery light for indoor-outdoor use.

NEXT LEVEL

Vine Light – the product of a collaboration between BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) and Artemide – is a new- generation task light with a pure and balanced line and two joints that allow maximum freedom of use. It will perfectly illuminate a work surface, but it will also create multiple light scenarios, leaving you free to shape your own lighting design. There is a touch dimmer in the head for easy, intuitive adjustment. The collection includes a table lamp, a lamp that can be fixed to a work surface, two wall-mounted variants, and a floor lamp.

FOREVER ADJUSTABLE

The Ayno lighting family is the first new design by Midgard Licht – a German company founded in Hamburg in 1919 by Curt Fischer, the inventor of adjustable lighting – since 1950. With this collection, industrial designer Stefan Diez won the German Sustainability Award in Design 2021.

RE-EDITION

Midgard Licht’s re-edition of its K831 model is based on a rare draft version of the original 1930 design.
The swivelling shade allows you to direct the light wherever you need it.

MOBILITY

The transversal, portable Takku from Artemide looks great in a workspace or living spaces, and offers 32 hours of freedom from the main electricity supply. The head controls the diffused emission with an optical element on its lower surface.

PURE MAGIC

Stellar Nebula is a family of suspension lamps designed by BIG in collaboration with Artemide. The master glassmaker not only shapes the glass by blowing into a standard mould, but also expresses their know-how with techniques that softly alter the basic shape and accentuate the uniqueness of each piece.

PAST + FUTURE ICONS

Created by Copenhagen designers Birgitte Due Madsen and Jonas Trampedach, Moby is made from Acovi acrylic with an integrated LED light source. As the soft light from Karakter illuminates the cavity, it draws attention to its curves.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Parentesi light, Flos reissued it in Turquoise and Signal Orange to celebrate designer Achille Castiglioni and automotive designer Pio Manzù’s favourite colours. Parentesi hangs from the ceiling, but is anchored to the floor by a 5kg weight that keeps it straight and steady.

Looking for more design or architecture? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, here, or take a look at these bathroom lighting tips.

The post Lights On: New Lighting Designs appeared first on Visi.

The Eskom Energy Efficient Light Design Competition is back. Held every two years this prestigious competition invites students, designers and (for the first time) secondary school learners, to submit innovative residential lighting solutions to win their share of R214 000 in prize money as well as the opportunity to be awarded the coveted Sparks Trophy.

Andrew Etzinger, Senior General Manager of Integrated Demand Management (IDM) at Eskom, says “The lighting design competition helps mobilise transformation in the market, motivating lighting designers, architects and interior designers to use energy efficient lighting in their portfolios and inspiring consumers to adopt innovative and green lighting concepts.”

“Our lobbying programme with tertiary institutions in previous years has helped put energy efficiency on the radar of the engineering, architecture, interior design, industrial and product design faculties, creating awareness among future decision-makers,” he says. “The competition has already been included in the curricula of all the main universities and design faculties in the country, so this year we have decided to expand the programme to secondary schools, which involves presentations, workshops and lectures to learners, where experts share knowledge and know-how, as well as sponsorships of lamps, control gear and equipment for previously disadvantaged learners.”

With a focus on innovation, even the simplest idea could be a winner, and over the years this competition has proved to be a launch pad into energy efficient design careers.

There are four awards, the ‘Residential Luminaire Design’ for full time students at tertiary institutions, the ‘Innovative Energy Efficient Lighting Design’ for professional graphic designers, electrical engineers, product designers and researchers. There are also two special awards for the ‘Most Promising Young Designer’, which will be awarded to a secondary school learner, and the ‘Most Promising Designer’, which will honour an amateur designer. Entries close on 31 August at midnight.

Supported by VISI, Philips, the Radiant Group, LED Lighting SA, Voltex, Eurolux, Osram, the Department of Energy, the eta Awards, 49M, NEEA, NMISA, SESSA, IESSA, Technology Innovation Agency, the South African Institute of the Interior Design Professionals, Electricity and Control, Sparks Electrical News, Vector and Lighting in Design, this competition will see South Africans across the board using creativity to solve the energy crisis our world is rapidly facing.

More information: www.lighting-design.co.za

The post Go green and win appeared first on Visi.

Presented by Paul Pamboukian Lighting Design, in association with VISI magazine, the Haute Lumière Light Award reflects the need to explore and stimulate debate on light as a design medium.

The finalists – August de Wet, Ayesha Mohamed, Christopher Wood, Eduard Claassen, Rozan Cochrane and Rudi Both – attended a workshop last week with Paul Pamboukian. At the workshop, Paul introduced and explored light as a medium, which gave the finalists valuable insight into the world of lighting design.

Afterwards a discussion session was held where each finalist presented their design and received input on it. It was a busy day, full of discussion, brainstorming, learning new technical aspects of lighting and hopefully granting participants a new awareness of the possibilities of light.

Sponsored by Pamboukian Associates, ELDC (European Light and Design Centre), Regent Lighting, Regent Designs, SA Fashion Week and VISI Magazine, the Haute Lumière Award also has a prestigious panel of judges: Annemarie Meintjes (Associate Editor VISI Magazine), Lucilla Booyzen (SA Fashion Week), Lisebo Mokhesi (Ink Interiors), Marc Machtelinckx (ELDC), Neo Neophytou (DSGN Interior Design), Paul Pamboukian (Pamboukian Associates), Randal Wahl (Regent Lighting), Robert Alexander (Regent Designs) and Silvio Rech (Silvio Rech Lesley Carstens Architects).

VISI’s Annemarie says she was spellbound by the level of design possessed by the finalists’ work. “The designs were logical and not laboured and at least two of the designs were earmarked for the commercial market, so maybe all of us will soon be able to own a Haute Lumière design.”

More information: lightisourmedium.blogspot.com or call Anthony Tischhauser on 011 880 2831.

The post The Haute Lumière hotshots appeared first on Visi.