This bi-annual celebration of decorative lighting did not disappoint. Held April 14 to 19 in Milan as part of the International Furniture Exhibition known as Salone, this showcase for furniture, lighting, and textiles continues to prove that design matters regardless of technology shifts or economic swings. Salone and Euroluce are a gathering of the who’s who of the design world, and lighting plays a key role in the designers’ arsenals. Trends on display in the four lighting halls included slim silhouettes, fixtures grouped in multiples, metal finishes, and the full adoption of LEDs. Euroluce serves as an outlet for creative inspiration.
Courtesy Luceplan
Mesh, Luceplan • “I set out to create a lamp by starting with this capacity for spatial separation of LEDs, scattering them to optimize the spread of light, but above all with the aim of giving each of these points of light its own independence,” says designer Francisco Gomez Paz of his latest design for Luceplan. Measuring 110cm in diameter by 90cm tall (43.3" by 35.4"), the LEDs appear to “float” in a net of fine steel cables finished in black. Dimmable, with light output to 8,000 lumens. • luceplan.com
Courtesy Vibia
Cosmos, Vibia • Designed by Lievore Altherr Molina, this new series of pendants creates an illuminated constellation. The largest disk measures 48cm in diameter by 7cm thick and when lit reveals the look of the moon. The smaller disks, which are 19cm in diameter by 4cm thick, are available in dark brown, green, and light gray matte lacquer. The fixtures use either a single 1w LED or three 3.7W LEDs. • vibialight.com
Courtesy Bocci
16, Bocci • “I have imagined what 16 would look like for almost a decade,” says Bocci’s creative director Omer Arbel. The fixture is created using a complex process of pouring three separate layers of colored, molten glass on a horizontal surface, with each layer allowed to form its own shape and level of opacity. Two of the layers are then attached and lit with an integral LED lamp. The glass fixture heads—8.5" in diameter by 2.5" thick—are supported by a modular armature that emulates the look of tree branches and houses the low-voltage power runs. • bocci.ca
Courtesy Davide Groppi
Dragon, Davide Groppi • “A little wireless dragon which ‘spits’ light out to [the] spot where it is required,” is how this 2.5W LED table lamp, designed by Omar Carraglia for Davide Groppi, is described in the company’s catalog. The fixture provides 250 lumens and the lamp head can be rotated 360 degrees. • davidegroppi.com
Courtesy Foscaini
Caiigo, Foscarini • The luminaire’s name is a play on the word “caigo,” which in the Venetian dialect means the mist that rises up from the lagoon waters. That was designer Marco Zito’s inspiration as he developed the white and transparent shading technique for the Murano blown-glass diffuser that is the main design element of the piece. Measuring 9⁄" wide by 11⁄" tall, the luminaire uses one 8W GU10 LED lamp. • foscarini.com
Courtesy Swarovski
Crystalon, Swarovski • Crystalon’s asymmetric form is a play on the DNA structure of a crystal. Available in seven pendant sizes ranging from 18" long to 75" long with either neutral- or warm-white LED options, or as a table lamp for use with an incandescent source, the dimmable fixture is available in two crystal colors: Crystal and Aurora Borealis. • architecture.swarovski.com
Courtesy Michael Anastassiades
Mobile Chandelier 9, Michael Anastassiades • “Nobody can replicate light in the way that it exists in nature. I would be happy if I was to capture a small part of that complexity when designing a fixture,” says designer Michael Anastassiades. For Euroluce, he launched 15 new designs under his own name. (He also designs for Flos, among others.) The collection explores the shape of a sphere through different geometries. The latest evolution of the Mobile Chandeliers (No. 9 shown), introduces curved elements into the existing linear vocabulary. Made of black patented brass and opaline spheres that use 2700K frosted halogen lamps, the luminaire measures 57.28" wide by 39.49" tall. • michaelanastassiades.com
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Elizabeth Donoff is the Editor-in-Chief of Architectural Lighting.
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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