Nocturnal Light

Zumtobel and architect Ben van Berkel and his team at UNStudio, collaborate on NightSight, a new modular outdoor lighting system.

1 MIN READ
Architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio

Inga Powilleit

Architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio

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.

Architect Ben van Berkel's sketches for the NightSight family of luminaires.

Courtesy Zumtobel

Architect Ben van Berkel's sketches for the NightSight family of luminaires.

The area luminaire version of the NightSight outdoor lighting system.

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. •

About the Author

Elizabeth Donoff

Elizabeth Donoff is Editor-at-Large of Architectural Lighting (AL). She served as Editor-in-Chief from 2006 to 2017. She joined the editorial team in 2003 and is a leading voice in the lighting community speaking at industry events such as Lightfair and the International Association of Lighting Designers Annual Enlighten Conference, and has twice served as a judge for the Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section’s (IESNYC) Lumen Award program. In 2009, she received the Brilliance Award from the IESNYC for dedicated service and contribution to the New York City lighting community. Over the past 11 years, under her editorial direction, Architectural Lighting has received a number of prestigious B2B journalism awards. In 2017, Architectural Lighting was a Top Ten Finalist for Magazine of the Year from the American Society of Business Publication Editors' AZBEE Awards. In 2016, Donoff received the Jesse H. Neal Award for her Editor’s Comments in the category of Best Commentary/Blog, and in 2015, AL received a Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Media Brand (Overall Editorial Excellence).Prior to her entry into design journalism, Donoff worked in New York City architectural offices including FXFowle where she was part of the project teams for the Reuters Building at Three Times Square and the New York Times Headquarters. She is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Me., and she earned her Master of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.

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