LewesLight returns for 2020
(UK) – LewesLight will take place from 28 February – 1 March.
After four years of creating new and exciting installations
in light, sound and space in and around the East Sussex town of Lewes,
organisers have announced that LewesLight will return in 2020.
Created in response to the UNESCO International Year of
Light in 2015, LewesLight has been held annually ever since, and the next
instalment will take place over the weekend of 28 February – 1 March.
For its next edition, LewesLight will be exploring environmental
stories, starting with the beauty of moonlight and shadow through to the play
of light on water. The festival’s artists and designers will also investigate
some of the more troubling issues of our time, looking at the impact that human
civilisation is having on our planet: climate emergency, rising sea levels,
plastic, the impact we have on wildlife and biodiversity, and what this means
for the future.
The festival is a community event, and takes place due to
the hard work of both professional and community volunteers, and the support of
event partners. For the 2020 event, LewesLight is working with the Lewes
Railway Land Wildlife Trust R.A.T.S Group, and the Environment Agency to
involve secondary school children in the event, raising awareness of sea level
rises due to global warming.
Organisers are also working with Making Lewes to develop a
community workshop, and with The Manor Green College in Crawley to involve
children with learning difficulties in the production of one of the
installations.
Education is at the heart of the festival, as through work
with local school children, organisers hope to promote STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Maths), showing how these subjects are inseparable
from creativity, art and design.
The event’s professional team will also be working with
undergraduate and postgraduate students from Brighton University School of Art,
University College London (UCL), Rose Bruford College and Northbrook MET, providing
opportunities for mentoring and experience right through the creative process,
through to delivering the final event.
Confirmed contributors for LewesLight 2020 include: BDP,
Nulty, Studio Fractal and Studio 29, alongside designers and artists Michelle
Dufaur, Maggie Lambert, Carl Robertshaw, Shadow Cabinet, Galit Shaltiel, Eleni
Shiarlis and Tim Minter.
The festival’s other partners for this year’s event are:
Lewes Town Council, Lewes District Council, The Depot Cinema, Trinity South
Malling and Sussex Events. Supporters for the event include: Commercial Lighting,
iGuzzini, Architainment, Light Projects, Rosco, Mode Lighting, The ILP and the
SLL.
Glamox purchase ES-System
(Poland) – Acquisition of ES-System strengthens Glamox’s position in Polish market.
Glamox has secured more than 98% of shares in ES-System, the
largest lighting company in Poland by turnover.
The purchase was confirmed on 4 December, with Glamox
acquiring 98.21% of shares in the Polish lighting company.
Founded in 1990 with headquarters in Kraków, Poland, ES-System
today employs nearly 900 people full time, with two factories in Wilkasy and
Dobczyce.
The acquisition gives Glamox access to an attractive lighting
market with high growth driven by a healthy macro-economy and a high level of
activity in the construction and installation industry.
“The acquisition of ES-System is in line with Glamox’s
strategy of buying up leading companies in Western and Central Europe with
matching customer segments, channels and market positions,” said Rune
Marthinussen, CEO of Glamox.
“ES-System’s products will further strengthen the range of
products we are able to offer our customers. In addition to giving us a leading
position on the Polish market, it will also strengthen us in our core markets.”
The transaction was completed on 10 December, and the
purchase has been approved by the relevant competition authorities. Glamox
intends to acquire all shares in ES-System, and will put in motion an
obligatory buy-out procedure for the remaining shares under the conditions
stipulated by Polish law.
Winners of [d]arc awards announced at [d]arc night
(UK) – WhiteNight Lighting picked up the Best of the Best [d]arc award at [d]arc night, the [d]arc awards ceremony, which took place at MC Motors in London on December 5th.
Christmas celebrations kicked off early this year, as the winners of the 2019 [d]arc awards were unveiled at [d]arc night, a special Christmas party held at MC Motors in London on December 5th, complete with street food, a free bar, and fifteen Christmas present-themed light installations by top lighting designers and manufacturers.
The winners were:
STRUCTURES: Best Exterior
Lighting Scheme – Low Budget: Bamboo Pavilion, Taiwan by OuDeLight
STRUCTURES: Best Exterior
Lighting Scheme – High Budget: Chineh, Iran by RGE
Lighting Design
PLACES: Best Interior
Lighting Scheme – Low Budget: International Presbyterian
Church, UK by 18 Degrees
PLACES: Best Interior Lighting Scheme – High Budget: Under, Norway by Light Bureau (formerly ÅF Lighting)
SPACES: Best Landscape Lighting Scheme – Low Budget: The Musicon Path, Denmark by Simon Panduro and Light Bureau (formerly ÅF Lighting)
SPACES: Best Landscape
Lighting Scheme – High Budget: Aurora Experience, Finland
by WhiteNight Lighting
ART: Best Light Art Scheme –
Low Budget: Kaamos Aurinko, Sweden by ALLES oder Licht
ART: Best Light Art Scheme –
High Budget: Where The Rainbow Ends, France by Urban
Electric
ART: Best Light Art Scheme – Bespoke:
Biophilic Light, Netherlands by Beersnielsen Lighting Designers
EVENT: Best Creative Lighting
Event: Winter Lights, UK by Canary Wharf Group
KIT: Best Architectural
Lighting Products – Exterior Luminaires: Pipien
by Stoane Lighting
KIT: Best Architectural Lighting Products – Interior Luminaires: Eyeconic Range by Phos
KIT: Best Decorative: Noctambule by Flos
[d]arc award – Best of the
Best: Aurora Experience, Finland by WhiteNight Lighting
[d]arc night marked
the conclusion of a six month process, which saw more than 400 entries
submitted, with over 100 entries in the product categories.
Altogether, projects from 45 countries were entered and there were more than 12,000 votes cast, making this year’s awards one of the best to date.
The unique presentation format, free bars (sponsored by Kingfisher, Orluna and Nowatt Lighting and Technilum), street food and impressive lighting installations all contributed to a hugely enjoyable and creative evening for the more than 600 lighting designers, interior designers and architects in attendance. This year also provided an eco-friendly Glitter Bar sponsored by formalighting.
The installations on show at [d]arc night were
created by: Michael Grubb Studios (in association with Lite), Light Bureau (L&L
Luce&Light), DPA Lighting Consultants (Targetti), Light 4 Cundall (Osram), Arup
(Seoul Semiconductor), Firefly Point of View (Ligman), Seam (Delta Light), Lighting
Design International (Linea Light Group), Ideaworks (TLS International), Hoare
Lea (SLV), 18 Degrees, Inverse Lighting Design (Precision Lighting/RCL) MBLD
(Speciality Lighting Industries, Nulty (Signify) and Into Lighting (Ecosense).
After a vote on the night by visitors, an award for the best
installation was presented to Lighting Design International and Linea Light
Group for their installation, Ministry.
The [d]arc
awards, organised by [d]arc media together with creative consultants
Light Collective, is a celebration of the best lighting design around the
world, and is the world’s only peer-to-peer lighting design awards.
ÅF Lighting changes name to Light Bureau
(Europe) – Light Bureau joined ÅF Lighting in 2017.
Since 2017, Light Bureau and ÅF Lighting have been acting as
one company, counting more than 110 dedicated specialists operating across five
countries. Now, it has announced a new, common brand, finally marking the
merger with one name: Light Bureau.
Jim Collin, Head of Light Bureau, said “Light Bureau is
already a well-renowned name internationally. I strongly believe that our new
joint name will strengthen our identity and will provide us with a solid
platform to off the global market high-end lighting design solutions.”
“I’m very happy with this development, completing as it does
the union between ÅF Lighting and Light Bureau,” added Paul Traynor, Principal
Director at Light Bureau. “It will be exciting to see how we can develop the
joint brand together and build on what’s been achieved in the last two decades.”
Light Bureau is part of the engineering consultancy AFRY,
formerly ÅF Pöyry, operating globally under the Business Area, Architecture and
Design.
Ansorg appoints new CEO and COO
(Germany) - Matthias Hummel is appointed as the new CEO of Ansorg this summer, along with Tim Schnieder as COO one month previous.
Hummel took over the as CEO at Ansorg on 1 August 2019. One month previously Tim Schnieder joined the Mülheim-based lighting expert as COO.
“By contributing our experience we can facilitate Ansorg’s development into a leading international retail lighting expert,” explained Hummel. “We want to provide bespoke services in the very highest quality to customers all over the world – now and in the future.”
In times of continuous dynamic change in the lighting market, the company will benefit from Hummel’s uncompromising service orientation and more than 25 years of international retail expertise. He played an instrumental role in Vizona’s development into a leading international shopfitting service provider.
Schneider contributes extensive supply chain experience gained on different continents to the future development of Ansorg. He has various areas of expertise, including excellent project management know-how, experience in the implementation of international expansion strategies and an in-depth knowledge of process optimisation.
Visitors to the international EuroShop retail trade fair in Düsseldorf in early 2020 can gain hands-on insights into the future of retail lighting.
“Light plays a very important role in the retail industry because it adds emotional appeal to the shopping experience. Today’s retailers have to deliver an authentic brand experience to consumers – because that experience affects them at a far deeper emotional level than the product they are buying. And light is the key,” said Schnieder.
Before embarking on his career, Schnieder gained a degree in mechanical engineering from Osnabrück University and a degree in business management from Coventry University in the United Kingdom. After graduating in 2007 he joined Philips, where he held various functions in international supply chain management. In 2017 he was appointed as Head of Procurement in the Innovation and Strategy business unit. Since July 2019 he has been contributing his wide-ranging experience to the international expansion of the supply chain and continuous process optimisation at Ansorg.
The new CEO, Hummel, hails from the German city of Freiburg. He started his career in the wood-processing industry in 1992 after studying woodworking technology in Rosenheim. Two functions down the line the engineer’s career took off with his appointment as Shopfitting Project Manager and Regional Manager at Vitrashop in 1995. In 2004 he was appointed as Managing Director of Vizona, later assuming responsibility for the entire Vizona Group. Hummel has remained loyal to the group with his move to the Ansorg executive management.
Phos to illuminate Gingerbread City
(UK) – The exhibition
will run at Somerset House from 7 December – 5 January.
Phos has announced that
it will be illuminating the Museum of Architecture’s Gingerbread City for its
fourth annual Christmas exhibition.
The show, based in the
iconic Somerset House, runs from 7 December – 5 January, and sees more than 100
architects, engineers and landscape artists create an entire city out of
gingerbread. Its aim is to connect the public with architecture in an exciting
way and spark important conversations around cities and how we live in them.
This year’s exhibition
is based around the theme of ‘transport’ and models of Battersea Power Station
and the Tate Modern are just a few tipped to be on display during the show.
Phos will be working
with MoA to illuminate the Gingerbread City with its architectural lighting
products, ranging from LED strip and bespoke products, to the new Orba, that
was launched earlier this autumn. The range of LED lighting fixtures chosen by
the company will help to create a visually stimulating display that brings the
city to life through light, and enables it to be fully enjoyed by visitors.
James Cadisch, Development
Director at Phos, said: “We are thrilled to be taking part in such a wonderfully
festive show, that not only introduces architecture to a new audience, but
champions sustainable design ideas. The lighting design will help visitors fully
engage with the city, while putting the designs firmly in the ‘spotlight’.”
Signify launches tailor-made 3D printed professional luminaires
(Netherlands) – Introduction of 3D printing facilities part of wider effort to reduce carbon footprint.
Signify has unveiled facilities to 3D print light shades and
fittings in the Netherlands, and announced plans to establish 3D printing
factories in the US, India and Indonesia.
By using this highly flexible, more sustainable form of manufacturing,
which uses a 100% recyclable polycarbonate material, it allows luminaires to be
bespoke designed or tailored to customer’s exact need, and then recycled at the
end of their life, supporting a circular economy.
The investment in 3D printing underlines the company’s commitment
to reducing customers’, and its own, carbon footprint; a typical manufactured
luminaire (excluding electronics and optics) has a 47% lower carbon footprint
than a conventionally manufactured metal luminaire, and nearly every component
can be reused or recycled.
“We are the first lighting manufacturer to produce 3D
printed luminaires on an industrial scale, reinforcing our position at the
forefront of lighting and sustainable innovation,” said Olivia Qiu, Chief
Innovation Officer at Signify. “Printing luminaires provides a more flexible,
fast and more environmentally friendly way to manufacture. We can create new,
or customise existing designs, that fulfil customer needs quickly without huge
investments and long development cycles.”
Signify already has a 3D printing facility at Maarheeze in
the Netherlands. It aims to have up to 500 3D printers of different sizes, with
the ability to create luminaires up to 60cm in height and width. In January
2020, new Signify 3D printing facilities will be operational in Burlington, MA,
USA, serving both professional and consumer markets. Additional facilities in
Noida, India and Jakarta, Indonesia, will follow shortly after. LED lights will
be integrated into the luminaires at all of these sites.
The move has already received support from fashion and food
retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S), which has announced that it is in the
first phase of rolling out thousands of 3D printed luminaires across stores in
the UK as part of a wider move to improve store performance and generate
significant energy savings.
Oliver Knowles, Research & Development Manager within
the Property Group at M&S, said: “3D printing has been around for a while,
but these luminaires are the first real retail lighting application we’ve seen
that improves the sustainability of our stores and are extremely complementary
to our sustainability strategy. The potential for these fittings is enormous,
both from an energy and cost-efficiency perspective.”
Signify has also announced the rollout across Europe of the
world’s first online service to enable consumers to tailor decorative
luminaires.
Silvair to provide wireless technology for Osram
(Poland) – Silvair to collaborate with Osram as
Technology Partner
Silvair has enterted into a technology partnership with
Osram, providing a robust wireless control technology for HubSense, a new
lighting control system for the global lighting company.
HubSense is designed to enable easy and time-efficient
retrofitting of existing lighting installations into flexible wireless control
systems based on the globally interoperable Bluetooth mesh standard. With a
simplified commissioning process and multiple predefined lighting scenarios, it
is an intuitive solution for implementing advanced control strategies without
lighting control engineering expertise. The system also allows quick modification
of settings and lighting arrangement without bearing the costs of
recommissioning.
As a major contributor to the Bluetooth SIG’s Mesh Working
Group, Silvair plays a key role in the development of the Bluetooth mesh standard,
and as Technology Partner, Osram will be looking to gain access to the company’s
wireless knowhow.
“This is a strong signal for the entire industry, which
confirms the enormous potential of Bluetooth mesh networking in professional
lighting applications. We’re delighted that our efforts aimed at delivering a
truly outstanding lighting control experience have been recognised by one of
the most established brands in the lighting business,” said Michał Hobot, VP of
Product at Silvair.
“Bluetooth mesh introduces multiple innovative concepts to
solve the typical challenges of wireless lighting control,” added Hannes
Wagner, Product Manager at Osram. “Already present in all personal computing
devices, it also seems perfectly positioned to deliver value-added services
directly to end users.
“With its commitment to quality and innovation, Silvair is a
perfect partner for exploring this exciting global ecosystem.”
Flos appoints new Design Curators
(Italy) – Milanese architectural duo Fabio Calvi and Paolo Brambilla join Italian lighting brand.
This decision came as part of the company’s strategic reorganisation and development programme, drawn up and put in place by Roberta Silva, just a few months after she joined Flos as Chief Executive Officer.
The intention is to work comprehensively on product development, with the purpose of strengthening product range. This role will guarantee continuity with the past in terms of attention to the creative stage behind the idea, while at the same time ensuring a better structure.
Fabio Calvi and Paolo Brambilla, together, have a total of 20 years of collaboration with Flos, from the design of countless special installations for corporate events and new product launches, the planning of highly prestigious stands and display architecture, including Soft Wall, to recent refurbishment of the historic Milanese Flos flagship store in Corso Monforte.
This experience has afforded them an awareness of the brand’s philosophy and collections, hands-on experience with its evolution and a chance to get inside the relationship Flos enjoys with the creative talents on the international design scene.
Fabio Calvi and Paolo Brambilla commented: “Flos is a brand that has always turned trailblazing and design innovation into an element of differentiation and uniqueness. We are honoured by the confidence Roberta has shown in us and we are ready to step up to the plate in this exciting challenge. We like to imagine Flos as an art gallery and us as its curators, where the works of art are represented by poetical creations of light and the artists by the great designers who conceived them.”
Nulty to open Bangkok studio
(Thailand) – New Bangkok studio follows expansion in Middle East, America and Beirut.
Nulty is expanding its presence in Southeast Asia with the
launch of a Bangkok lighting design studio.
Headed up by Director Spencer Baxter, a lighting specialised with more than 20 years’ experience, this new location will allow the practice to capitalise on opportunities within the ASEAN community, and fully service the lighting design needs of its hospitality, retail, commercial and residential sectors.
“We couldn’t be more motivated about the launch of Nulty
Bangkok,” said Paul Nulty, Founder of Nulty. “Southeast Asia has so much potential
for us as a studio, so it’s important for us to be on the ground to maximise
opportunities and ensure we deliver the best level of service for our clients.
“We’ve done our homework in the region and are confident
that we have the right team in place to widen our network of contacts across Bangkok
and beyond.”
Spencer Baxter, Director of Nulty Bangkok, added: “Thailand’s
flourishing community of design professionals is just one of the reasons why
Bangkok was the logical next step for Nulty. The new base will enable us to
establish a dedicated ASEAN team, which will work in close partnership with
local developers, architects and designers to bring their projects to life
through boundary-pushing lighting design.”
Future Designs appoint Regional Specification Manager for Middle East and North Africa
(UAE) – Rich Semple brings seventeen years of experience
to Future Designs.
Future Designs has
appointed Rich Semple as Regional Specification Manager, with responsibility
for the Middle East and North Africa, building on recent success and growth in
the region.
Semple is an experienced lighting expert, with a broad knowledge
of the sector garnered from roles in Engineering, Design, Manufacturing, Sales
and Distribution, over seventeen years.
A passionate advocate of great design and quality products,
Semple has been based in the Middle East for more than four years, where he has
a firm grasp on the market and has earned a solid reputation within the design
community.
David Clements, Chief Executive of Future Designs, said: “We
are very excited at the prospect of Rich joining our UAE team. He is renowned
for his integrity and professional approach, combined with a keen eye for
detail, which is suited to our culture at Future Designs.
“He has a wealth of knowledge of the region, and we are
looking forward to continued success throughout the Middle East and Africa.”
IALD Europe continues 50th anniversary celebrations
(Belgium) – IALD Europe host cocktail party to mark 50th anniversary.
As the IALD continues
to commemorate its 50th anniversary, its Europe chapter hosted a
special cocktail evening in Brussels on 29 October.
Nele Devolder, IALD Europe manager, opened the evening
highlighting the achievements of the IALD and IALD Europe over the past five
decades, and reiterated the key initiatives of the association: speaking with
one voice in order to grow and raise the profile of the lighting design
profession, and promoting credibility and expertise of IALD members while promoting
the advancement and recognition of professional lighting designers. Devolder
reiterated a well-known IALD phrase: “Good lighting doesn’t just happen, it’s
designed.”
Robert Nuij, European Commission DG Energy Head of Sector
for Energy Efficient Products, followed by congratulating IALD Europe on the
anniversary, adding that it is always important to have stakeholders such as
the IALD at the table in the policy-making process, in order to better shape legislation
and bring the expertise of professionals with hands-on knowledge.
The evening culminated with a presentation from Susanna Antico
that highlighted why professional lighting designers are needed, while
discussing the importance of close collaboration between architects and
lighting designers. Through her presentation, Antico showed the passion and
emotional side of lighting design, emphasising Devolder’s point that good
lighting is well designed.
