ASICS, UK
into Lighting was appointed by ASICS to work alongside interior designers Brinkworth to provide the lighting design for the largest ASICS retail store to date, which has recently opened on London’s iconic Regent Street and embodies the new concept retail approach for the brand going forward.
Featuring all four ASICS brands under one roof for the first time, ASICS, ASICS Tiger, Onitsuka Tiger and Haglöfs will now all be sold within this one store. into has worked as lighting consultants to ASICS for over six years, completing more than 90 stores Europe-wide, into Director Darren Orrow leads a team of five, comprising lighting designers and project managers to service ASICS as a client internationally.
ASICS is an acronym of the Latin phrase ‘Anima sana in corpore sano’ – A sound mind in a sound body. As such, interior designers Brinkworth have created a concept that reflects the harmony of this philosophy and a store environment that balances the highly technical aspects of the brand (a sound body) with natural, warm finishes, features and materials (a sound mind).
The concept offers consumers a fully integrated, holistic sports environment where both the mind and the body are stimulated. The ‘Sound Mind, Sound Body’ ethos of the brand will be consistently evident, with the use of living plant installations, sustainable products, natural wood finishes, LED lighting, and technology, as well as a complimentary juice bar and in-house DJ booth.
The concepts within the store are a reflection of the innovation that has been at the heart of the brand since its inception. There are four ASICS MOTION ID zones, using sensors to capture each consumer’s natural posture and movement when running, to inform recommendations of product types best suited to them.
A unique, state-of-the-art ‘robotic shoe delivery system’ has been introduced to enhance the delivery of products to the shop floor. Intuitive robotic arms placed in the shop window demonstrate key products and a striking kinetic lighting installation runs the length of the store, pulsating at the same pace as the heart rate of a 100-metre sprinter.
Large-scale integrated planting within retail is not normally successful due to the lighting specifically required for product display. Brinkworth and into have worked closely with landscape experts to incorporate a bespoke lighting system, this provides the plants with the correct light in order to grow. A bespoke drip feed watering system has been developed within the long stainless-steel planters to ensure clean and safe installations.
The retail furniture has been developed with RFP to deliver the best possible system for the ASICS product range. A modular post system provides a perimeter wall framework into which a whole range of display components fits inside, including integrated LED lighting, graphic backdrops, digital panels, racks, shelves and shoe stands.
into were appointed by ASICS to work alongside Brinkworth to realise their joint vision for the lighting in this new concept retail flagship. The lighting was to be as energy efficient as possible, all LED and tailored to different product types and displays, to help zone areas and to create a theatrical environment.
The 9,040sqft, two-storey former French Connection store comprises of a vast ground floor area with two mezzanine levels and a basement level, complete with the ASICS motion ID and body scanner area.
On looking through the store windows and entering the store, customers are greeted by a large-scale ‘wow factor’ bespoke kinetic lighting installation. This feature was developed, supplied and installed in conjunction with Skratch AV. The installation comprises a series of suspended RGB LED tubes on winches controlled via DMX to enable infinite colour change, chase patterns and a kinetic effect. A Madrix Luna 8 with a purpose-built program links to a Skratch Assist tablet control system to provide the store with a quick and simple method of controlling the light effects. The Skratch Assist tablet allows the store manager to turn the lights on and off with a simple tap, as well as changing between the pre-installed movement and light sequences.
The accent lighting to the ground floor is provided by low glare, high level Reggiani Yori track mounted LED fixtures in a matte black finish, which has a minimal visual impact against the dark ceiling. These fixtures have been carefully located to work with the listed ceiling constraints of the venue. The fixtures have a colour temperature of 3000K and CRI 90 coupled with a 15-degree optic to provide focused illumination of the apparel merchandise, whilst avoiding light spill to the vertical surfaces to ensure the video wall and screens stand out and are not flashed with light.
The mezzanine level to the right of the venue houses the ASICS Tiger brand. The accent illumination to the merchandise is provided by a smaller version of the track spot with a wide 47-degree optic, to accommodate the low ceiling height, in 4000K CRI 90 with a bespoke, diagonally suspended LED profile with yellow light to accentuate the branding. A cooler 4000K colour temperature has been selected here to accentuate the whites of the trainers on display and create a more daytime/fresher ambience for the ASICS Tiger area.
The Onitsuka Tiger section is located below this mezzanine and is lit by recessed Reggiani adjustable LED downlights due to the low ceiling height. These fixtures have a colour temperature of 3000K and CRI 90 coupled with a wide 51-degree optic to provide good vertical illumination to the merchandise.
The ASICS Performance area is housed under the mezzanine of the left-hand side of the store. This area is defined by the timber slatted surfaces which draw customers into the space and surface mounted bespoke linear LED fixtures that have been integrated within the slats to provide a uniform ambient level of illumination. These fittings have been specified as 1-10V dimmable so that the light level can be locally controlled within the area after dusk.
On the mezzanine above the Performance area sits a unique state-of-the-art ‘robotic shoe delivery system’ that has been introduced to enhance the delivery of products to the shop floor. This has been highlighted using a combination of track mounted LED spotlights in conjunction with a blue linear LED to frame the architectural opening within which the ‘robot’ sits.
The open staircase leads you down into the basement to an additional ASICS Performance area along with the Haglöfs brand. The accent illumination to the merchandise is provided by further Reggiani adjustable track mounted fittings with a colour temperature of 3000K and CRI 90, with exception to the fixtures illuminating the trainer walls, these are in a cooler 4000K CRI 90 to accentuate the whites of the trainers on display, again helping to create a fresher ambience. The suspended feature planter display within the basement provides a key focal point and careful consideration has been given to the illumination of these as the correct colour temperature and diffusion of light is required to aid the plant growth.
The glazed motion ID consultation area, which can be viewed from the store, is illuminated to a light level stipulated by ASICS via a surface mounted linear 4000K CRI 90 LED profile with track mounted adjustable spotlights to highlight the machinery. The combination of these provides an excellent uniform light whilst minimising any shadowing for the cameras.
Changing rooms throughout the store are lit with a combination of recessed ambient LED downlights with an opal diffuser to soften the light and avoid glare, coupled with linear LED integrated into the mirror to provide a halo backlighting effect. Changing room lobby areas are lit by bespoke recessed LED profiles integrated within the timber ceilings.
Darren Orrow, Director at into, commented: “We are very proud that our longstanding relationship with ASICS continues with the development of this fantastic new retail concept. The lighting concept is tailored to suit each of the ASICS brands within the store, further enhancing their own visual identity whilst the overall scheme provides a homogenous lighting design creating theatre and providing the desired ambience throughout. Our work for ASICS continues with the lighting concept being applied to new stores throughout Europe, the USA and the rest of world.”
Scott Wakefield, Direct to Consumer Director ASICS EMEA, added: “Our new Regent Street store is a beacon for the ASICS DNA. Through the innovative retail space consumers can physically interact with the brand, witnessing the technology, breadth of product and ‘Sound Mind, Sound Body’ philosophy. We will take all of the positive elements of this state-of-the-art offering and translate it through further store openings across the globe.”
The New Global Retail concept is currently rolling out with completed flagship stores including Amsterdam, Paris, Cologne, and New York Firth Avenue, all with lighting design by into. The interiors and lighting concept is scalable for smaller outlet stores and concessions. Some stores feature unique, site-specific add ons such as a yoga studio, exercise studio and juice bar.
L'Occitane, UK
Twenty years after opening its boutique shop on London’s Regent Street, French natural beauty, skincare and fragrance brand L’Occitane en Provence has moved to a new, 6,450sqft flagship store.
In creating this new store, also located on Regent Street, L’Occitane commissioned lighting designers Nulty, alongside interior designers FutureBrand Uxus, to create a retail experience in fitting with the brand’s luxury, natural aesthetic.
Uxus was briefed to create a new, immersive experience that offered customers a luxurious and sensorial exploration of L’Occitane’s full range of natural beauty products, all inspired by the south of France art de vivre and Provençal beauty secrets.
Its vision for the space was an enchanting retail experience with education and trial at the core, sharing L’Occitane’s ‘beauty of life’ philosophy. “The region of Provence is at the soul of L’Occitane so we wanted to transport the customer there,” said Olivier Termijtelen, Senior Designer at FutureBrand Uxus.
“We incorporated real roses and showers of lavender in the interiors, and used tiles in warm yellow hues reminiscent of sunnier climes.”
The decision to use real flowers for the stunning centrepiece caused Uxus some issues, as Termijtelen explained: “The main challenge was to find fresh ingredients used in L’Occitane products that can also be used in a dry form to ensure longevity of the display, but not compromise the look.
“Using fake ingredients was not an option, as it didn’t speak to the originality of the botanical enrichment story we conveyed in the store, so we worked with a drying process that didn’t discolour or damage the ingredients, and we were able to create a strong focal point.”
On entering the store, customers are taken on a journey from garden to table – the store is intended to be “an enrichment for all the senses”, with sunshine yellows and rose gold accents flooding the space with a warm glow.
According to Anna Sandgren, Associate Lighting Designer at Nulty, L’Occitane wanted the colours throughout to “emulate the ‘golden hour’ that you get before and after sunset, emphasising the warmth and natural ethos of the brand, and to complement the materials used within the interior design”.
Nulty has a strong working relationship with Uxus, having worked with them on the lighting scheme for Bloomingdales Kuwait, and this relationship proved beneficial for L’Occitane. Sandgren explained: “Having worked together previously meant that the relationships had been nurtured and lots of trust and confidence in our working relationship was apparent throughout the design process, and I think this translated into the scheme.”
The two companies ran design workshops in the early stages of the project, enabling Nulty to create a lighting scheme that worked well with the interiors, complementing the varied material palette by using LED technology to bring out the colours and textures within the interior, helping the products to stand out.
“We used high quality LEDs that pick up the true colours of all the materials used within the store,” continued Sandgren. “The brand’s palette is naturally warm and the lighting chosen reinforces this, making the space feel sunny, warm and inviting to customers.”
Due to the nature of the brand’s warm colour palette, there was no need for Sandgren to add any additional warmth in the way of colour temperature. Instead she specified high CRI LEDs, lit at 3000k. However, the store features a number of digital screens throughout, which could have had an impact on the lighting scheme.
“We had to control the amount of light emitted from them and balance that with other elements to ensure that the retail space didn’t feel over illuminated,” she explained. “The lighting scheme within the ceiling was clean and uncluttered, which meant careful consideration of the placement of the downlights, keeping the quantity to a minimum whilst ensuring the correct amount of light coverage was achieved on all products below.”
Nulty has an extensive portfolio of retail projects from around the world, and as such has a sound knowledge of what constitutes successful retail lighting. With this in mind, Sandgren felt it was important to incorporate layers of light throughout the store. “Ambient lighting was achieved from the perimeter joinery displays, whilst task lighting featured from the adjustable downlights, illuminating the merchandise on sale,” she explained.
“The interior displays, such as the flower installations, were lit as feature elements together with the architectural coffers, adding additional visual interest within the store and catching the attention of passing customers.”
The shop floor is divided into beauty zones; a sunshine fountain with an array of soaps, a wild scented garden allowing customers to explore and find their fragrance, a pampering handcare bar, an abundant harvest table and a living beauty bar. Holistic treatments are provided upstairs, with refreshments and Pierre Hermé Paris macarons served while customers relax.
As such, Sandgren believes that it was an “ambitious design with a limited timeframe” to achieve and coordinate all the different elements, but she added that Nulty achieved this by “working in close collaboration with the client, while our existing relationship with Uxus allowed us to work quickly and effectively”.
The new Regent Street store is unlike any other L’Occitane shop, from arrival to exit, FutureBrand Uxus and Nulty have created a restorative oasis of calm on the busy London shopping street, and Sandgren believes that L’Occitane’s firm idea of what they wanted helped to make it such a success.
“The history and story behind a brand always help a designer when creating a vision for a store,” she said. “L’Occitane knew exactly what they wanted to achieve from the new flagship retail space while really understanding their well-established customer base. Altogether this meant that the brief was steady – which isn’t always the case in retail.”
Jamie Taylor, Retail, Wholesale and Property Director at L’Occitane UK, is delighted with the new location. “We are thrilled to secure our first UK flagship store on Regent Street,” he said. “This new store sets our customers at the heart of an unforgettable retail experience, with personalisation and customisation at the core.
“The unique concept design creates a truly multi-sensorial experience. Memory creation through inspirational storytelling was our vision for this Flagship Experience Store, providing an immersive exploration true to our deep Provençal roots.”
Sandgren agrees with Taylor’s sentiment, and she feels that the lighting greatly adds to the aesthetic that L’Occitane were trying to achieve in their new flagship location. “The lighting doesn’t take over from either the brand or the interior designer’s vision – it works with it and reinforces it,” she said. “Although not warm in its nature, the lighting helps reinforce and celebrate the brand’s colour palette.
“It is all about understanding the brand and what it wants to communicate, and using light as an emotional tool helps to connect the customer with this brand identity.”
Dolce & Gabbana, Japan
The Dolce & Gabbana flagship store in Aoyama, Tokyo, invites visitors to engage in an innovative shopping experience, channelling the sun of Sicily, where the Italian designers are originally from, into the Japanese lifestyle and shopping vibe.
Designed by Gwenael Nicolas of Studio Curiosity, with lighting design from Barbara Balestreri Lighting Design (BBLD), the store blurs the lines between retail establishment and fashion show, conceiving the space as a stage in which customers become the actors and the display “would unfold a creative narrative, a retail storytelling”.
The project is not the first time that BBLD and Studio Curiosity have worked together – the Italian lighting designers have worked with the architects on a number of projects, including Fendi’s flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo, where they “merged ancient Roman architecture into the Japanese metropolis lightscape”, and the Sloane Street Dolce & Gabbana location in London, in which Balestreri and her team created a “fluid lightecture”.
For the Aoyama location, Dolce & Gabbana had a very simple brief for the designers: “to create something that would surprise”. Barbara Balestreri, Director of BBLD, explained: “Such a challenge triggered ‘lateral thinking’ with Studio Curiosity, and we worked on a design that would be able to also enhance the shopping experience.
“The result is a dynamic lightecture of sharp lights and shadows which frames the products like they were on stage, and embraces customers with an inspirational display.”
The term “lightecture” is one coined by Balestreri, intended to express BBLD’s way of working, and its architectural approach to light. “Lightecture implies a wider meaning than lighting design, which is too often linked to products, interiors and technical features,” she explained. “It includes the creative process sprung from an understanding of the cultural, social and geographical contest.
“You wouldn’t design a building detached from its urban environment, we believe that crafting lights for a showroom, a museum or a public space should require the very same care.”
Such care and attention has seen BBLD work with a large number of high-end, designer retail establishments, from Dolce & Gabbana to Jimmy Choo, Armani, Moncler and more. “Each brand is like a planet with its own history, narrative and values,” Balestreri said. “And each retail space must meet the vibe of its own city.
“Our job is to translate these inputs into light. But the focus must always be on the final experience of the customers. Creating emotions and teasing their curiosity is our goal.”
In Tokyo, BBLD looked to social media for inspiration for the new Dolce & Gabbana store. “The project takes inspiration from how millennials choose their look while surfing on social media,” Balestreri continued. “On Instagram, the eye scrolls through never ending pictures slotted into grids to find catchy inspirations.
“In the Aoyama showroom, objects are constantly appearing and disappearing, creating a choreography of light. With this design solution, we aimed to plunge customers into an immersive, non-aggressive and non-digital version of the social media experience.”
It is here that BBLD sought to create a more theatrical lighting scheme, framing the products as if they were on a stage. Through cross-pollinating contrasts, the retail environment embraces the dramatic world of theatre, as traditional retail lighting solutions were implemented by using stage projectors.
“Light is a composite matter,” said Balestreri. “When tailoring lights on a volume or surface there are so many variables that most often the wanted effect must be achieved only, but combining different technologies, creating subtle contrasts or borrowing inspirations from different worlds.
“Bringing theatre dynamic lighting design was the perfect solution to combine movement with the statuesque poses of the mannequins and items on display.”
Professional ellipsoidal LED spotlights from Silver Star and ETC with interchangeable heads were positioned across the flagship store as if it were a stage. Thanks to framing shutters, the whole system proved to be highly flexible and precise in defining the sharp geometries required by the main concept.
Balestreri tested disposition of the projectors with physical mock-ups on different scales in order to tailor in the slightest detail light interactions and effects on products.
The dynamism of the retail space was achieved by orchestrating units that could be DMX-controlled independently. In this way it was possible to compose light sequences by alternatively switching on and off the projectors and tuning the whole system with music.
Jewels and watches are nested in bespoke, golden-framed niches hosting scenographic miniature interiors, each one lit by miniature theatre projectors hidden within the alcoves.
Outside, street windows catch the eye with floor to ceiling niches dressed in white marble, and a metal profile nested in the wall hosts the lighting system. Elsewhere, small directional and custom-designed projectors focus on the products, while couples of floor-to-ceiling linear light sources from DN Lighting and Moriyama enhance the rhythm of the building, echoing the dynamic contrasts inside the store.
In the store’s interior design, Studio Curiosity played with black and gold colours – an extremely elegant combination close to Dolce & Gabbana’s style. These gold elements, surfaces and stairs refer to the Sicilian sun, bringing an Italian flair to the Japanese retail market.
“Our work as BBLD was to shape the light in order to highlight the chromatic balance of the spaces,” continued Balestreri. “At the same time, this added a Japanese-style, tech-oriented touch.”
BBLD has been involved in the project since its inception, meaning that they could team up with Studio Curiosity to develop the main concept from the beginning, thus avoiding any technical difficulties that could have arisen had they joined the project at a later stage. “The design process evolved smoothly,” Balestreri said. “The teamwork was extremely inspirational.”
“Working on a project is always an opportunity to experiment new ideas. Being involved since the beginning is always a great chance to find and create tailored solutions that fit organically into the project.”
The end result is a stunning retail establishment firmly in keeping with the designer brand’s luxury aesthetic, and definitely living up to Dolce & Gabbana’s wish for a “surprise”.
Thorn celebrates 90th anniversary
(UK) – The lighting manufacturer celebrated the milestone anniversary in March 2018.
On 29 March, Thorn Lighting celebrated its 90th anniversary. Over the past nine decades, the manufacturer has firmly established itself within the lighting industry, and is known for its smart and reliable, high-performance lighting solutions.
Austrian-born Jules Thorn founded the company in March 1928 with a mission to make great lighting easy. Thorn first came to Britain as a sales rep for a company making gas mantles, but soon decided to set up his own company, launching the Electric Lamp Service Company.
Lou Bedocs, Lighting Applications Advisor at Thorn and one of the company’s longest-serving employees, said: “Everybody thought Jules was mad when he decided to build a 30-million-a-year capacity lamp factory. But he went ahead and built more than 70 factories around the world, not just for lamps but also for luminaires, control gears and lighting accessories. Now 90 years later, we can look back on a true pioneer who left his mark on the world of industry.”
The new company grew from servicing lamps to manufacturing, before later diversifying into luminaires, domestic appliances, TVs and radios. In 1936, under the new name Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd, the company floated on the London Stock Exchange, and by 1959 it was the tenth biggest company in the UK.
The company continued to grow throughout the 20th century, before joining the Zumtobel Group in 2000, positioning it for further global growth and strengthening its outdoor and sports lighting portfolios.
Today, the company is a multi-award winning lighting supplier, developing and designing lighting solutions for offices, shops, schools, universities and industrial sites all over the world, and is moving into the world of digitalisation, becoming a partner of smart city initiatives such as DOLL (the Danish Outdoor Lighting Lab) and LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International).
Paul Coggins, SVP Northern Europe, said: “We are immensely proud of our heritage at Thorn. Since Jules Thorn set up the company 90 years ago we have been pushing technology forward to produce the very best solutions for our customers.
“Our 90th anniversary is a time to look back on all the inspiring moments and stories in our history, but it’s also a brilliant opportunity to look ahead. Going forward we will continue to develop technologically advanced solutions for our core markets and segments.
“In addition the services on offer via Zumtobel Group Services will enable us to be the best placed to manage the lit environment, optimising user experience and maximising the opportunities that lie ahead in a connected world.”
Registration open for 9° LEDforum
(Brazil) – The ninth LEDforum, held in São Paulo on August 23-24, brings together lighting professionals from Brazil and around the world for an up-to-date industry outlook.
Registration for the 9° LEDforum 2018 is now open. In its ninth year, the event will take place in São Paulo, Brazil on August 23rd and 24th.
LEDforum is the largest Latin American congress of architectural lighting, hosted by Editora Lumière, with the support of AsBAI (Brazilian Association of Lighting Architects), IALD and other Brazilian and international associations and institutions, events, media and education institutions.
In every new edition, LEDforum gains in scale and diversity, attracting professionals from all over Brazil and other Latin American countries, such as lighting designers, architects, interior designers, urban designers, landscape designers, students, investors, entrepreneurs and government authorities.
The event, which gathered 520 participants in 2017, provided a panoramic and up-to-date industry outlook of what is happening in Brazil and worldwide, presenting and discussing studies, solutions, technology and professional practices in all aspects of light and lighting.
In addition to the lectures and discussion panels featuring industry leaders of lighting design around the world, the LEDforum also features exhibition and networking areas where all participants can meet and interact.
The Forum also provides a platform for participation with the innovation group activity mesa360. The platform encourages dialogue between lighting designers, architects, suppliers, educators and other strategic members of the lighting community.
As part of the Light Week 2018, LEDforum is AsBAI's partner, hosting the workshop "Ecology Of Light" – this activity is scheduled for 19-22 of August at the Vila Jataí area, an ecological neighbourhood in São Paulo. The third edition of the Lighting Lovers party promises to warm up the night of the 24th, marking the closing of another week of celebration of light.
Visitors can register for the event here.
Osram and Nichia to expand IP co-operation
(Germany) – Osram and Nichia will enter negotiations of a cross license covering around 7000 new patent applications.
Osram and Nichia have announced their intention to expand their intellectual property (IP) license co-operation.
The two companies have agreed to enter into negotiations of a cross license covering approximately 7000 new patent applications, including around 2000 granted patents from Nichia and Osram covering Automotive, General Lighting, LCD backlights, Display, Medial and Industrial applications, along with a full range of opto-electronics products.
The two firms entered into patent cross license agreements in 2002 and 2010, and as a result, both companies are allowed to use each other’s patents licensed under the respective agreement in its own nitride-based semiconductor products.
Aldo Kamper, CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors, and Hiroyoshi Ogawa, President of Nichia Corporation, met at Light+Building, expressing their wish to expand and strengthen the license co-operation.
Aldo Kamper said: “To further advance LED and laser technology, Nichia and Osram have spent, in total, more than 2.5 billion Euros in research and development since 2011.”
“On all levels of the value chain, significant progress has been made in the past eight years, protected by a variety of new patents on both sides,” added Hiroyoshi Ogawa.
In order to capture their technological achievements in all existing as well as emerging application areas for opto-electronics products and technologies, Osram and Nichia will discuss a cross license that will cover the many additional patents based on post-2010 inventions.
“I fully share this view,” Kamper added. “As a consequence, our companies will be able to leverage each other’s technological advancements, while both companies’ customers will benefit from an industry-leading protection in IP related matters.”
Lightly Technologies offer investment opportunity amid expansion plans
(Ireland) – As the company plans to expand into Europe, Lightly Technologies has launched an equity crowdfunding campaign looking for investors.
Dublin-based tech startup Lightly Technologies is offering investors a unique opportunity to become a part of the company through an equity crowdfunding campaign of £250,000 via Crowdcube.
Founded in 2016, Lightly Technologies is a cleantech, hardware startup developing an ultra-thin, LED light source, essentially a tile producing a surface of white light. A client of Enterprise Ireland, the Irish state-supported agency for high potential startups, Lightly Technologies combines the slim style of OLED lighting with the performance benefits of LED technology, aiming to bring beautiful yet functional light to designers and architects.
The capital raised through the Crowdcube campaign will enable Lightly Technologies to set up the production line for their flagship product, Hikari SQ, and begin mass production. Lightly Technologies has ambitious growth plans into Europe, with expansion to the Sales and Marketing divisions as well as a dedicated Engineering team to work on future product generations of their ultra-thin LED lighting technology.
Founder, Matt Hanbury, commented: “We developed Hikari SQ having been inspired by the lighting fixture designs with OLED lighting but underwhelmed by the performance of the technology. We realised that there was a gap in the marketplace for ultra-thin, modern lighting fixture designs that perform, and that a paradigm shift was needed.
“Ultra-thin surface light sources don’t have to use OLED technology, and by leveraging my experience in the smartphone displays industry, I developed Hikari SQ. Put simply, Hikari SQ enables a new generation of lighting fixture design for stunning interior design and architecture.”
Brian Charman, Co-Founder, Lightly Technologies added: “Investing in Lightly Technologies will help bring this innovative technology to market and embrace a new generation of lighting fixture design. It’s a really exciting time to get involved as we launch lighting’s next big thing as part of a pioneering future product roadmap.”
More information can be found on the Lightly Technologies CrowdCube page at www.crowdcube.com/lightly, or on a special pitch video here.
Job Smeets to host darc awards / decorative
(UK) – arc's sister magazine darc has announced that world renowned designer Job Smeets of Belgium & Netherlands based Studio Job, will be guest host for this year’s darc awards / decorative taking place at the iconic London nightclub Fabric on 31 May.
Job Smeets is a pioneer of contemporary conceptual and sculptural design and founded Studio Job in 1998 in the renaissance spirit, combining traditional and modern techniques to produce once-in-a-lifetime objects. Joined in 2000 by graphic designer Nynke Tynagel the duo went on to work with a vast range of high profile clients including sculptures for Swarovski, Barneys and Land Rover, and product collections for brands including Venini, Alessi, Swatch and Pepsi.
Studio Job are consistently ranked as one of the world’s most influential players within design and art with work in more than 40 museums around the world, their highly collectable work creates a bridge between object and product by merging monumental design and graphic artwork.
Smeets has designed lighting collections for a wide range of producers, the famous ‘Tit Lamp’ for Venini; a hugely successful collection for Slamp, desk lamps for Lensvelt; and the highly crafted ‘Wonderlamp’ for Italian gallery DILMOS. While last year saw a joint venture between Italian manufacturer and Smeets to form the brand BLOW, launching the Banana Lamp based on his limited edition bronze sculpture that was 3D scanned to produce in resin.
Most recently ‘JOBBY the Cat Lamp’ was launched in Stockholm in February, a life-size cat sculpture based on Smeets’ own cat that has proved a huge hit for the brand.
When asked what had attracted him to the darc awards / decorative, Smeets said: “London is an amazing and crazy city and I love it. For me light is one of the most important things in the world, it is much more than LED and flashlights… Light means life. Design should always be serious fun so I’m bringing the rock and roll to the darc awards.”
DESIGNERS
Don’t forget to vote for your favourite projects and products to ensure you receive a free ticket to the awards party at Fabric, London, on 31 May, 2018.
SUPPLIERS
If you are a manufacturer or supplier of lighting and would like to attend the awards party, please contact Moses Naeem to purchase a ticket: m.naeem@mondiale.co.uk
www.darcawards.com/decorative
www.studiojob.be
Rogier van der Heide to curate Trends in Lighting 2018
(Austria) – The 2018 edition of Trends in Lighting will be curated by Rogier van der Heide, former Vice President and Chief Design Officer of Philips Lighting and Chief Design & Marketing Officer of Zumtobel.
Rogier van der Heide is to curate the 2018 Trends in Lighting (TiL) event.
A master of light, a provocateur and a futurist, van der Heide is on a mission to curate an event that will empower and inspire everyone. “The digital transformation of lighting creates not just new technical possibilities: it empowers professionals of all backgrounds to create meaningful solutions with light,” he said.
“At Trends in Lighting, our four knowledge tracks will enable everyone to discover the incredible breadth of digital lighting applications, and to exchange passion, expertise and enthusiasm.”
Van der Heide, an IALD Radiance Award winner, was the first choice for the event organisers when deciding on a collaborative partner, as Luger Research wanted to collaborate with a strong creative leader in light for their event in 2018.
Siegfried Luger said of this strategic partnership: “We have observed this change in light and lighting coming in recent years. Now is the right time to bring the two worlds of lighting technology and innovative light applications together. By working with Rogier, designers, visionaries and innovators will inspire lighting technologists and vice versa.”
In the digital age, light is perceived differently: in different applications, light now easily adds different values, ranging from "health and wellbeing" to "light that sells" and "connected light".
The role of the lighting designer is shifting and others are entering the field such as art directors, designers, business leaders, product designers and even doctors. Everyone can now create value with light.
Held alongside LpS, TiL 2018 will reflect these developments with four carefully curated tracks to inspire delegates;
Lighting Heart & Soul: Light for better living, light for health, light at work, light & sleep, light & mood.
The Right to Create: Design process, rapid prototyping, light & business, value with light.
Humanizing Tech: User experiences, usability, holistic experience of light.
Beyond Illumination: Connected light, IoT, software & light, integrating light in technology.
Registration for TiL 2018 is open until April 30th.
Flos appoints Barbara Corti as Head of International Marketing
(Italy) – Corti moves from her role as Chief Digital Officer to take on the new position as Head of International Marketing.
Barbara Corti has been appointed as the new Head of International Marketing at Flos.
Corti joined the Italian lighting manufacturers in March of last year as Chief Digital Officer, bringing her skills to the planning and implementation of the company’s first steps in the digital transformation process, with the launch of its new global website in November 2017.
In her new role reporting to Flos CEO Piero Gandini, Corti will provide support and strategic guidance to all Flos Group subsidiaries in the development of a coordinated marketing plan that is shaped increasingly by the digital driver, with the intention of boosting the growth of the Home, Architectural and Outdoor product collections. Corti will also continue to manage the development of strategic digital assets.
Speaking of the appointment, Piero Gandini said: “It is a huge pleasure to announce the appointment of Barbara as Head of International Marketing of Flos Group. The skills she has shown in her first period with Flos as Chief Digital Officer perfectly match with the creativity and action necessary to our growth.”
Corti added: “Flos is a brand whose cutting edge approach is a uniquely distinctive feature of its language and of how it does business, makes products and innovates.
“I am honoured by the confidence shown in me by Piero Gandini and ready to seize this valuable legacy, one which will give us all the momentum we need in the coming months to build a platform on which communication, marketing and technology will coalesce to offer a unique and distinctive market proposition.”
With a degree in architecture, Corti worked for more than ten years as a Creative Director in digital communication agencies and for five years as Digital Product Director in Condé Nast Italia, as well as gaining experience as a consultant and mentor for several fashion world startups.
In addition to her professional career, she has also lectured on the User Experience at the Politecnico di Torino Design faculty and collaborated on educational projects with Il Politecnico di Milano, IED and Domus Academy. Corti has played an active role on international projects centred on human rights with IDLO – International Development Law Organisation, tackling the subject of Human Rights Design in developing countries.
In recent years she has won several prestigious international prizes, including the Lovie Awards and the Emanuele Pirella Award for the real innovation demonstrated by the new digital versions of Condé Nast group publications.
Studio Roosegaarde brings Waterlicht to United Nations
(USA) - The Waterlicht artwork has been installed outside the United Nations, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals, to raise awareness on global warming and rising water levels.
To mark World Water Day, Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde brought his Waterlicht light installation to the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Waterlicht, which translates to ‘water light’ uses light to create a dream landscape that shows the ‘power and poetry of water’. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the artwork is intended to raise awareness around rising water levels caused by global warming.
As underlined by the New York Mayor’s Office, climate change is “perhaps the toughest challenge New York City will face in the coming decades”. While Dutch water ambassador Henk Ovink added: “the Sandy’s and Harvey’s of this world will not stop. On the contrary they are the new normal, becoming more extreme year by year.”
With Waterlicht, Roosegaarde responds with a warning against rising water levels, while also providing inspiration towards the future: “Can we build floating cities, how much power can we generate from the movement of water?”
Installed at the North Lawn of the United Nations headquarters, Waterlicht New York mimics the height of hurricane Sandy with wavy lines of light made with the latest LED technology, software and lenses.
The artwork was originally created for the Dutch District Water Board Rijn & IJssel. New site specific series of Waterlicht have been created for Nuit Blanche in Paris, Kings Cross in London, Museumplein in Amsterdam, UNESCO Schokland, the Afsluitdijk, Middelburg and Leeuwarden in the Netherlands.
More than 220,000 visitors come to Light+Building 2018
(Germany) – Light+Building welcomed more than 220,000 visitors from 177 countries to Frankfurt for its 2018 installment.
More than 220,000 visitors made their way to the Messe Frankfurt for Light+Building 2018, held from 18 to 23 March.
The event is considered as one of the world’s leading events for the sector, and this year featured 2,714 exhibitors from 55 countries launching their products onto the world market.
An increase in visitors compared to the 2016 edition, this year’s Light+Building welcomed guests from 177 countries to discover the latest products, solutions and trends offered in the fields of lighting, electrical engineering and home and building automation.
Wolfgang Marzin, President and CEO of Messe Frankfurt, said at the end of the show: “Over the last six days, Light+Building presented a plethora of innovations. Everyone involved – exhibitors, partners and visitors – was delighted with the fair and this positive mood was prevalent in all halls. The upswing in the sector continues.”
The level of internationality rose again in comparison with the previous edition of the fair: 70 percent of exhibitors and 52 percent of visitors came from abroad, with the biggest visitor nations after Germany including China, Italy, Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Belgium. Large increases in visitor numbers were registered from countries such as Russian, India, Finland, Korea and Ukraine.
All participants gave the fair top marks for quality, and at over 80 percent, the overall level of satisfaction remains very high. 90 percent of exhibitors said they considered the economic outlook to be good, while in the case of German exhibitors, no less than 94 percent said they think the outlook is bright. The overall level of satisfaction on the visitor side is event higher and once again reached 97 percent.
The next Light + Building will be held in Frankfurt from 8 to 13 March 2020.
www.light-building.messefrankfurt.com
