These space-inspired lighting fixtures – from Artemide, B.Lux and DCW Editions and more – were among the highlights at Light + Building 2018, which ran last week in Frankfurt.
Calipso by Artemide
Originally launched as a ceiling-mount fixture, Neil Poulton’s Calipso is now a series featuring flush-mount and suspended linear modules, up to 180 centimetres long. The random honeycomb grid is created using an image-based algorithm and a photo of the moon’s surface. The series emanates a soft glow, with LED light filtered through a series of tubes, in varied diameters.
Bucola by Knikerboker
Branching off the Buchi line introduced in Milan last year, the Bucola floor and pendant lamps pair a dome-shaped shade with a sculptural surface that evokes both the cratered face of the moon, and the many planets and stars of the solar system. In gold, silver, bronze and copper leaf versions, as well as basic black and white.
Skywalker by Fagerhult
The super sleek linear pendant measures walks a thin line, measuring just 36 millimetres wide. Named for the Star Wars hero, the luminaire combines an angular profile with rounded corners for a retro-futuristic look and offers 60/40 direct/indirect distribution. Beta Opti Nano louvres produces exceptional uniformity, without dark-spots or glare.
Luna Out by In-es Artdesign
A winner in the Design Plus powered by Light + Building 2018 competition, organized by the German Design Council, Luna Out is an outdoor version of the Spanish brand’s moon-mimicking luminaires. Made from Nebulite, a proprietary mixture of resin and fibres, it’s available in four sizes, up to 120 centimetres, and with handles in 10 colours including red, turquoise, gold, silver and magenta.
C-ball by B.Lux
Madrid studio Stone Designs modelled this series of lamps after a solar system, and the motion of its orbiting planets. The celestial collection of floor, table, and suspension lamps now includes wall-mount versions; each iteration frames a 15-centimetre glass orb in a matte brass or black varnish ring.
ISP and In the Sun by DCW Editions
Developed by Dominique Perrault and Gaëlle Lauriot-Prévost for the renovation of the Pavillion Dufour at the Chateau de Versailles, In the Sun is a tribute to the Sun King. In brass or stainless mesh, the wall- and ceiling-mounted lamps radiate a warm, atmospheric glow, and cast soft shadows throughout a room.
Orbital by Tal
Exhibiting in a spacecraft-like booth, Belgian brand Tal promoted its ambitions to light the way to Mars and showed off Orbital, a recessed lighting module that can incorporate a variety of added features such as ventilation and sound, as well as smoke detection and motion sensors. The seamless integration of these services into a uniform ceiling module was developed for Brussels architects Bruno Erpicum, but then again, it could be ideal for for the compact footprint of a space shuttle.
