Started in 1950 as a project of architects Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., the Good Design Awards have since recognized the design and performance of consumer products in categories as diverse as lighting products and sports equipment. A joint effort of the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design, and Urban Studies, the awards are judged by an international jury of architects and designers.
According to the competition’s organizers, this year’s more than 800 overall winners were culled from “several thousand” entries. Below are seven of the 32 luminaires recognized in the Lighting products category that stood out to us.
OK, Konstantin Grcic for Flos
OK, Konstantin Grcic’s adjustable pendant for Flos, references the Parentesi luminaire by late Italian designer Achille Castiglioni. Weighing 6.4 lbs., Grcic’s fixtures features a lighted disk that slides along a floor-to-ceiling steel cable anchored to the ceiling with a spun-metal ceiling rose of Castiglioni’s design and to the floor with a weighted cone.
Ariel, Jake Dyson Products
Ariel, a 66W LED suspension luminaire from London studio Jake Dyson Products, offers 106 lumens per watt and is cooled with heat-pipe technology. Designed as a single-point light source with an extruded aluminum housing, the fixture is suited for home and corporate workspaces in 3000K and 4000K with CRIs of 80 and 95.
Transparency, Wila Lighting
A 0.59”-wide frame surrounds a transparent panel to render this suspended LED luminaire a discrete source of direct and indirect light. Wila Lighting’s Transparency reflects and refracts light—with options of 3000K and 4000K—to minimize glare while offering consistent illumination.
Parscan Lens Wallwashers, Erco
Erco last year introduced an updated version of its Parscan family of wallwashers and spotlights fitted with LEDs. Among them, the series’ lens wallwashers (shown) are offered in neutral and warm white colors with a luminious flux from 1,200 lumens to 6,360 lumens. Dimmable, the fixture is offered at 12W, 24W, and 48W.
Swan Pendant, Tunto Design
This slender, suspended luminaire from Finnish studio Tunto Design provides 1,700 lumens for use atop surfaces such as conference and dining tables where high efficacy and decorative design are required. The Swan pendant measures 63.8” long and is offered in walnut, ash, and oak finishes. The Swan series also includes a table and floor version as well as a wall sconce.
Intro Modular LED Lighting System, Zumtobel
Designed for use in retail spaces, Zumtobel’s versatile Intro modular LED lighting system includes fixtures for accent, vertical, general, and emergency lighting. Multiple fixture sizes and configurations are offered, with features including 360-degree rotatable spotlights at 3000K and 4000K; efficacies of up to 100 lumens per watt; and front rings in five colors including white and black.
SlimStyle LED 60W, Philips
Philips’ ultra-flat version of the A19 replacement lamp has caught the industry’s attention since its introduction last January. Front the front, SlimStyle aims to recreate the look of an incandescent while its profile shows the potential of LED technology. The lamp fits an E26 medium base and measures 4.2" tall by 2.6" wide.
