A collaboration between Zumtobel and architect Ben van Berkel and his team at UNStudio, NightSight is a new modular outdoor lighting system designed to address the nighttime urban environment. Architectural Lighting spoke with van Berkel at Light+Building to learn more about the collaboration and the development of the luminaire.
Courtesy Zumtobel
Architect Ben van Berkel's sketches for the NightSight family of luminaires.
Courtesy Zumtobel
The area luminaire version of the NightSight outdoor lighting system.
NightSight, Zumtobel • Available as a projector-style luminaire for façade lighting and as an area luminaire (shown), the light heads of the individual LED modules can be adjusted to any angle. Available in 3000K and 4000K, installation options include mast, wall, floor, or ceiling. • zumtobel.com
How did this collaboration come about?
We’ve worked with Zumtobel for many years and done interactive façade lighting projects such as the Galleria Department store in Seoul, South Korea.
How did the concept for NightSight originate?
Light is today’s information. It’s digital. It’s going beyond the classical way of how we have thought about light. That’s why I was so fascinated in thinking about what light can do in a space and how you could introduce an interactive quality that could activate social gatherings.
Are there projects you are working on where you will use the fixture?
Yes, we’re working on all the metro projects in Qatar. There are 33 stations. They’ve asked me to think about the relationship between the stations and the city, and how they can become orientation points.
How did you decide on the name NightSight?
We like the idea that it is not an individual product and object having autonomous quality. NightSight is dealing with a more global landscape that goes beyond the product itself. •
