Wästberg Holocene
Swedish lighting company Wästberg has decided to take a step back in time with its latest collection, launching light sources that do not require any electricity. The Holocene collection, which can be seen as a tribute to fire and also man, represents a geological period when man lived in harmony with nature.
Developed in collaboration with Ilse Crawford, David Chipperfield and Jasper Morrison, the new collection includes a candlestick and two oil lamps in brass; displayed for the first time at Skridskopaviljongen, Skeppsholmen, during Stockholm Furniture Fair.
&tradition The Copenhagen
The Copenhagen pendant evokes memories of maritime gas lamps silhouetted against a striking nordic sky. With this new addition to the series in matt opal, designers Signe Bbindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou from Space Copenhagen are enhancing the ambient light and the poetic aesthetic appeal.
Schneid Kaskad
Made of ceramic and available in three colours: soft mint, blush and midnight blue and two sizes, each pendant is hand made by a master craftsman. Kaskad also has a raw untreated ceramic surface on the inside for optimal and even light diffusion, which adds a gentle contrast to the glazed and coloured outside of the lamp.
Paolo Castelli Venus
Venus, from Paolo Castelli, makes every space rich, with its sophisticated brilliance. It consists of a rich bouquet of metallic elements, a semicircular section and Murano glass slats including 24K gold flakes, placed at staggered heights and collected in an oval metal band, treated with special galvanic finish.
Masterlight Larino
The Larino half sphere pendants are part of the Industria collection. This collection has been designed and manufactured by Masterlight in The Netherlands. The lamps are available in sphere diameters varying from 30cm up to one-metre. Furthermore, they are available in many different colours and with accessories.
Ebb & Flow Futura
Futura, the slim and curvy pendant from Ebb & Flow, was on show at this year's IMM in the new cool shade topaz blue with a platinum metallic band across the middle. Futura is available in two sizes, in a collection of muted elegant colours such as obsidian, smokey grey and golden smoke to name but a few.
Le Klint Carronade Large
The Carronade series has expanded to include a large modern pendant with a wide opening that directs perfect diffused light for everyday use. Fashioned in the familiar sleek styling of the earlier models, the exact materials has been manipulated to create a masterpiece in modern lighting design. Available in both black and sand.
Jaanus Orgusaar ZOME
ZOME consists of identical fluid vermiforms and is a self-constructing bionic structure – the more rhombus there are in the first row, the more flowing and ductile the shape will be. Made of thin aircraft plywood, the lamp appears fragile but its structure ensures a strong shape. The lamp is delivered fully assembled by hand in the workshop.
Contardi Uffizi Ta
Uffizi is an enlightening onyx marble sculpture, in which the strong artistic identity and the functionality of this lamp perfectly match. Dimmable LED sources, controlled by the touch switch on the base, the Uffizi Ta becomes a timeless and across-the-board product, which can blend into classical and contemporary locations.
Aaron Scott Design N3 Chandelier
The N3 Chandelier is a rotationally-symmetrical, hand-sculpted pendant lamp. With a solid wood body, four lamps lie behind acrylic diffusers; suspended via lamp wires from a three-armed canopy and mounted directly to a junction box. The N3 Chandelier is available in bleached cherry, black walnut and bleached walnut.
www.aaronscottdesign.com
The Westin at The Woodlands, US
The Westin at The Woodlands in Texas, US is a testament to The Westin Brand, thanks to the work of waldrop+nichols studio to bring the outside into the design of this flowing interior space.
Sitting along the northern bank of The Woodlands Waterway in Texas, The Westin hotel sees a picturesque tree-lined canal and path system wind through the entire Woodlands downtown attractions. The contemporary glass façade of the hotel hugs the curve of the water with similar geometry reflected throughout its interior design and architecture.
Selected to comprise the hotel’s interior was American-based waldrop+nichols studio, having worked previously with The Howard Hughes Corporation, which owns The Westin at The Woodlands. As a branded property, waldrop+nichols studio used The Westin standards as a guideline and framework, and the project has since been featured in the 2016 Westin standards book 'Westin Iconic Spaces'.
The interior concept evolved through the precise lens of a camera focused on the landscape, synthesising forms, textures and contours that seamlessly transcend into a visibly modern interior. With the expert touches of lighting design practices iWorks and Hallmark Lighting, the hotel's interior comes to life with bespoke fixtures that amplify the hotel's grandeur. An illuminated, custom light installation comprised of 2,651 glass lamps set within bronze framework spans 137 linear feet and greets guests as they enter the lobby, drawing them from the entry through an architectural flow space towards a waterway overlook. This iconic installation meanders into the lobby bar and crescendos above a two-storey pre-function space.
waldrop+nichols studio founder Reggi Nichols told darc: “The lighting of the space is a focal interior architectural element of the lobby and it is the first design element that garners attention from hotel guests. It sets the stage and creates not only form but function as well.”
waldrop+nichols studio doesn't foster a signature style, with its design approach catering to each project in a unique perspective to give every hotel a true sense of place and reason for being. The Westin at The Woodlands is no exception, as Nichols explained: “The aesthetic for its interior design is lighter and brighter than any of our previous projects, and the amount of glazing was paramount. With the vast glazing inside the landing space and common areas, we chose to define these spaces with floating elements in the absence of physical walls in order to create spatial division. These elements include the meandering custom lighting fixture as well as the structural column inside Current, an all-day dining venue, which is inspired by a deconstructed tree trunk and serves as an indoor canopy.”
The curved geometry of The Westin at The Woodlands enhances the site and surroundings by emulating the curve of the waterway, providing panoramic views and a stunning building design.
“The Woodlands itself was the inspiration,” continued Nichols. “We captured the essence of the Woodlands development and held true to our initial concept. The lobby, for example, offers a design rooted in its wooded, waterfront surroundings. A backdrop borrowed from the landscape seamlessly transcends into the modern interior architecture.”
Despite its seemingly natural and inescapable points of inspiration, these design choices presented challenges from an interior architectural standpoint. Special consideration within the design was given to paving and carpet design patterns, layout and installation that embraced and adapted to the building curve. Additionally, 15x20ft light fixtures for the hotel’s ballroom were custom designed to address the segmented footprint. Containing the fixture within each coffer perimeter and not allowing it to protrude below the ceiling line avoided any appearance of misalignment.
“When you create a conceptual design and rendering early in the process, they serve as a glimpse of the finished project and establish a mind-set of the finished design. When the completed project perfectly captures the essence of the vision as illustrated in the renderings, then you know you have achieved your original concept and vision. We feel we were able to achieve this with The Westin at The Woodlands project.”
The hotel's solutions and final outcome seem inevitable – it couldn’t have become anything other than what it is, being surrounded by such flowing beauty and natural geometry. waldrop+nichols studio captured the essence of this hotel’s being without hesitation, and in doing so, created something that stands as tribute to the hospitality achievements of The Westin brand.
Residential Project, UK
A derelict Grade II Listed house presented a challenge to UK-based STUDIOAida in transforming the space into a home fit for a young family.
With a focus on residential interior design, STUDIOAida brought a wealth of experience to the challenge of transforming a derelict Grade II listed house into a home for a family with two young children.
Having worked closely in the past with heritage consultants MVHC, STUDIOAida are well versed in working on listed buildings and were able to ensure their ideas would be considered a welcome improvement to the property.
Studio Founder Aida Bratvic told darc: “The clients bravely embarked on this massive refurbishment project, which was divided into several stages to work around them as they lived in the property while the work was going on.”
The interior features an original listed panelling that make some parts of the house extremely dark. As a result, lighting played a huge part in the design. STUDIOAida called upon the expertise of PSLab in making such decisions around how to best execute the decorative lighting elements. Bratvic said: “Having worked with PSLab on several projects in the past, they were our first point of call particularly because of the entrance hall that is double height, and was quite dark and unwelcoming.”
In wanting a scheme that was exciting, yet elegant and practical, the challenge was to adequately light the minimal monochrome artwork from a considerable height, while providing a striking piece at the entrance of the home that would reflect the clients’ spirit and artistic personalities.
“PSLab was commissioned to design and supply the entrance hall ceiling lights, while the rest of the lighting was done by us. We like mixing different brands for a more eclectic and lived in look.”
STUDIOAida decided to go for striking pieces that would become focal points in many rooms, and the panelling provided the perfect backdrop for them. The house is set in an acre of garden so in the dining room that opens onto a garden, the idea was to bring the outdoors inside – Moooi’s Heracleum chandelier provided the perfect solution. “It offers a soft glow and even when not lit, the delicate white petals are beautifully juxtaposed with the panelling,” said Bratvic.
With the clients living on site while work was taking place, consistency and careful planning in the stages of this project was essential. “Since we were not engaged before the construction started, some of the lights had to be retro fixed to a finished ceiling, and so had to be fixed from the floor above,” Bratvic continued. “We are architects as well as interior designers, so our technical background is essential when coming up with solutions. PSLab’s lights also came with a neat video showing point by point installation, much to a contractor’s delight!”
The lighting of this property completely transformed a derelict and uninviting space into a real home. “It plays an extremely important part. One can have beautifully designed spaces filled with the most wonderful furniture but if inadequately lit, it will not be noticeable or enjoyable. Lighting should be practical first but we have come a long way since the dreary downlighters of the past. Lighting has become stylish and elegant, and very often a real art installation.
“We were very lucky to have a wonderful client who trusted us even with some unorthodox ideas. We think it’s our duty as designers to push the boundaries and sometimes take the clients a little bit out of their comfort zone, and the results are often extraordinary spaces that they never thought they could have.”
This project is testament to the importance of working with lighting experts on interior projects. STUDIOAida advises clients to engage with a lighting designer where complexity of project and budget allow, seeing their expertise as invaluable, especially in an age when technology changes at such a speed that it’s difficult to keep up.
STUDIOAida has also been asked to seek planning consent to add an additional floor to the property, opening up another stage of the project, and standing as testament to the design studio's achievements in making a home for this young family. The lighting is not only integral to its interior, but is the most noticed and complemented feature of the house's design.
