Lighting

Ingo Maurer light installation at Torre Velasca in Milan

Ingo Maurer has accepted the challenge of illuminating what is probably one of the most extraordinary skyscrapers ever: the Torre Velasca in Milan. As part of “Open Borders”, a series of programs organized by Interni magazine during the Salone del Mobile, Ingo Maurer wants to “immerse” the building in light: the lower part as well as the roof will glow glowing red to highlight the special architecture as a temporary hotspot of Audi. The central part of the tower will remain dark, with only a few windows also shining red from time to time. Four individual white rings will wander back and forth along the lower section, temporarily forming the Audi logo. Ingo Maurer deliberately leaves it up to the viewer to make his or her own experience of this building in a new light. Ingo Maurer has already realized two projects for Interni during the Salone del Mobile, both in cooperation with Axel Schmid, who has been working for Ingo Maurer GmbH since 1998. His LED table lamp Jetzt was included in the Design Collection of the MoMA in New York in 2009. Other lamps by Axel Schmid are part of the Ingo Maurer collection. The technical implementation of the lighting of the Torre Velasca is provided by CastagnaRavelli.

Ingo Maurer light installation at Torre Velasca in Milan

Foscarini

The pendant lamp Tonda new by Foscarini

The Tonda of Foscarini fascinates with its balance that seems purely logical impossible. It is a challenge to gravity that is denied and finally overcome with a design that seems playfully light, but at the same time obeys quite strictly a theorem. The pendant lamp Tonda is a refined interplay of balance and equilibrium between the ball of blown glass with shades and the metal support that surrounds it but does not block it, on which it rests but is not fixed. A refined and at the same time pop design object.

The diffuser is made of hand-blown opal glass with transparent shading (tinted white towards the top and transparent towards the bottom). It is up to the skill of the master glassblower to capture the right combination and mixture of white and transparent to get the shading. Therefore, each glass is unique and the transition between the two colors is different in each specimen, giving the product a special craftsmanship value.

Available in two sizes, and with a metal frame in different colors – orange, white, titanium – Foscarini Tonda is a sculptural focal point designed to dialogue with contemporary interiors.

The pendant lamp Tonda new by Foscarini

Brokis

The Brokis Prisma extravagant lighting series

The dominant feature of the Brokis Prisma collection is an extravagant metal fixture with a distinctive finish. Classic handblown glass spheres are anchored to either one or both ends of a robust decagonal metal prism that lends the collection its name. The shape in combination with the striking surface reflect light at different and unexpected angles, like a prism. With a choice of two different elegant finishes – yellow zinc lacquer or brushed steel lacquer – the light is a bold artistic object in the interior offering unique vertical, horizontal, and diagonal compositions with subtle colourful reflections.

The collection consists of a horizontal pendent light with two dual glass spheres and a vertical pendent light with a single glass sphere, both of which hang from wire ropes. Another typological variant is an impressive floor light, a majestic light sculpture in the form of a robust upright decagon topped with a luminous glass sphere. The structured finish on the metal fixture is one of the defining traits of the collection, and together with transparent glass or grey smoke glass constitutes a jewel with which to adorn private interiors as well as hotels and restaurants.

The Brokis Prisma extravagant lighting series

 

Lighting

a brand new lighting system, the sata by Vistosi

The new lighting system sata carries on with the stylistic reflection of Trepai, and gives even more emphasis to wood, that forms the rigorous and geometric structure where the manual blown glass light source rests. The sata lamp collection by vistosi is available in several versions to suit different contexts, both classic and modern. Glass colour tone: shaded white, shaded amber. Wood colour tone: natural, black.

visztosi sata

After the end of the Second World War, the Vistosi Lighting company concentrated on the production of lamps under the direction of Gino and Luciano Vistosi. The current headquarters are located on an island in the lagoon of Venice. To this day, the company management invokes a long and high-quality tradition of Murano glass production that can be traced back to the 16th century. An own glass manufactory represents the heart of the glassblowing art, which is still used today for many of the manufacturer’s lamps. Experienced master craftsmen supervise the manufacturing process, which is constantly faced with new challenges due to the creativity of the designers. Another important part of the glass production is the glass cutting, which is carried out by carefully working experts. Vistosi takes care of the entire production process of its luminaires, from the production of prototypes to the quality control of the materials used and the inspection and certification of the finished products. Outstanding collections of the Italian manufacturer are for example Giogali, Ferea, Diadema and Alega. Meanwhile, many lamps by Vistosi are also available as LED Powered Lamps .

 

Lighting

A freshly renovated house in Zuya, Spain

The transformation of the house was possible thanks to the work of professionals Tribeca Bilbao. The high ceilings of the house in Zuya have allowed to create a spacious and functional living room, which is the center of the house. It is a space open to the other rooms, which stands out for its great brightness. The focal point of the dining room is undoubtedly the stained oak table with the signature Vedra and the lamp Syra placed above it. The Syra offers a good dose of comfort thanks to the synthetic fiber of its large shade.

The Bover Syra is a pendant lamp easily recognizable and characteristic of BOVER products. The shade is made of an aluminum structure woven with synthetic fibers. The inner light source softens the light that comes out. Thanks to the LED panel, Syra is a resistant and energy-saving lamp. Syra series is ideal for rooms that need warm light and friendly elements to provide comfort.

A freshly renovated house in Zuya, Spain

Lighting

Bover Dome pendant lamp in exclusive hotel

Interior Design: Alado Studio SB Icaria hotel is an accommodation where you can feel Barcelona and the sea up close whenever you want, the place where you are the one who enjoys the experiences. On its restaurant, you can sample their exquisite cuisine prepared with cooking shows. At Icaria restaurant, you can find some of our Dome. The Bover DOME60’s smaller dimensions and its decorative capacity are ideal if you are looking for a lamp to give special character to a space. It can be fully integrated in a restaurant or a counter or reception. This is also true for the home, where it adapts perfectly to a dining room or a living room. To light up the bar, they chose a group of Drop S/01. One of the most outstanding features of the Drop is its diversity of sizes. We find versions of 1, 6, 7, 12, 24, 36 and 48 lights only in suspension. The biggest has a diameter of 1 meter, which gives it a great visual impact.

Bover Dome pendant lamp in exclusive hotel

Lighting

The Vistosi Anisette Lamp a design by Francesco Lucchese

The Vistosi Anisette is a collection with modern geometries, reminiscent of the shape of a lantern. Thanks to a special coupling system that perfectly hides the frame and allows the glass to be fixed without drilling, the two shaded white crystal diffusers can be assembled in four different configurations, creating different overlaps and silhouettes by playing with the internal source and the transparency of the glass. The sliding source is equipped with an E27 socket. Available in pendant version. The Vistosi Anisette Lamp a design by Francesco Lucchese

The Vistosi Anisette Lamp a design by Francesco Lucchese

Lighting

The safe way to efficient LED lighting technology

There is hardly a new building or newly developed outdoor area that is not equipped with efficient LED ltechnology today. When it comes to lighting retrofits, however, many companies are still lagging behind. Often one hears, “The lighting still works”. The amount of possible energy cost savings is still underestimated.

The LED specialist LEDAXO provides an overview of the considerations that need to be made to ensure that cost-saving effects, workplace requirements and safety-related aspects are all taken into account.

LED lighting offers a lot of advantages and energy saving potentials between 50 and 80%. Not to forget the possibility to reduce load peaks, which often have a significant impact on the energy cost calculation for companies. However, the best possible realization of the potential savings can only be achieved if a number of aspects are taken into account during planning and lamp selection, so that the most suitable solution can actually be found for the object in question.

The quality and condition of the built-in LED chips and power supply units, as well as effective heat dissipation, are decisive for the much-vaunted longevity of the LED lamps on offer. Since, in contrast to conventional lighting, heat dissipation in LEDs does not occur through light emission, the effective design of the aluminum heat sink, which is essential for powerful LED lamps, has a decisive influence on the expected service life.

As a rule of thumb, the larger the surface of the aluminum heat sink, the better the conditions for good heat dissipation. In the case of LED chips, there are chips from every manufacturer with very different characteristics that influence the service life and performance. A certain brand name alone does not give any information about the quality of a product. The luminous flux maintenance value (L70-L95) is a meaningful distinguishing feature. A value of L95, for example, represents a luminous flux reduction of only 5% over the course of the product’s service life. It is therefore always advisable to compare the technical data of different lamps that go beyond watts and lumens.

Important for almost every object is first of all a careful as-is survey. For this purpose, LEDAXO and its local partners are available to provide expert advice. In the case of an existing installation, the first step is to determine its type and condition. Then the requirements of the respective enterprise are taken up and defined in the comparison with the work place-legal regulations after DIN EN 12464-1 / -2 or work place regulations ASR A3.4. In addition, detailed aspects such as the possibilities of motion or daylight-dependent lighting control are discussed or, in the case of camera surveillance of a company site, the brightness requirements of the system manufacturer are taken into account.

On this basis, LEDAXO then prepares a lighting design. Here, different lamp alternatives and light distribution options are considered in order to determine the most sensible solution in terms of cost and energy efficiency. Here, the wide variety of available lamps, each with up to 12 different light distribution options, is a reliable basis for the best solution. The profitability calculation provided gives the respective company clear information about energy cost savings and payback period.

Lighting

lighting: the explanation of light effects and types

Lighting can create an ambiance or put the focus on a particular object or area. It is key in determining how we experience a space and emphasises or supports a room’s specific role. We distinguish between three types of light effect (direct, indirect and diffused lighting) and four types of lighting:

In the case of direct lighting, the light source shines directly onto the object or surface to be illuminated. There is no filtering installed, only strong direct lighting. We use this form of lighting particularly when illuminating artwork or above the dining table, when reading, etc. Direct light can also be used as general lighting in a room, although, in that case, several light sources will be required to achieve a balanced distribution of light. Direct light is ideal for seeing details, however, strong focused light creates shadows, which is disastrous in the case of e.g. a good work station. Furthermore, the risk of glare is very high since the light beam is very concentrated and strong. The most common forms of direct lighting are: built-in spots and reading lights.

In the case of indirect lighting we use the surroundings to light the room. As such, the ceiling and walls are secondary reflectors which reflect light in the room. This means that objects beyond the direct beam of light are illuminated as well. It is important to know that smoother surfaces reflect more light than structured surfaces (for example, walls with relief). This form of lighting is excellent for creating ambiance in a room and gives an open impression, making the room appear bigger. When using indirect lighting as general lighting, more and stronger light sources are required than in the case of direct lighting. The big advantage of indirect lighting is that it prevents shadows and there is also no annoying glare. You can illuminate a room sufficiently and softly without the harsh effect of direct lighting. Examples of indirect lighting are: wall lamps facing towards the ceiling or free-standing lamps with a dimmer function..

Diffused lighting begins by filtering the light. This generates a balanced distribution of light in the room. Diffused lighting is often used in a work environment, as there are neither shadows nor reflections. In some spaces it can be combined with direct and indirect lighting.

General lighting or basic lighting provides consistent room lighting, e.g. a ceiling lamp. These are the lamps that you use most often and put on first when you arrive home. It is the most important type of lighting, which means it often involves large lamps. Suspended lamps are best suited to this purpose.

Lighting

No more chaos in the wardrobe due to LED light strips

Who hasn’t experienced it – a spontaneous meeting with a partner, friends or colleagues is coming up and one question in particular is buzzing around in the head: “What should I wear?” A quick glance at the full wardrobe usually brings more perplexity than clarity. But often it is not the lack of clothes that is to blame, rather it is the lack of overview in the wardrobe. Small items of clothing and accessories in particular quickly disappear from the scene in a chaotic wardrobe. To get around this dilemma and maintain an overview in the wardrobe, Michaela Schenk, owner and managing director of the clothes hanger manufacturer MAWA GmbH, lists useful tips and tricks. First of all, decide which garments still have potential and which can go. It is recommended to take the season into account and store unneeded clothes in plastic boxes. “Storage should ideally be cool, dry and dark to avoid mould as well as fading of favourite pieces,” Schenk explains, adding, “Additionally, lavender sachets can be included as a natural moth repellent.” Once each item of clothing has found its place, it’s the turn of the other fashionable everyday companions. There is also an ideal solution for belts, scarves and necklaces: accessory hangers. They bring order to the wardrobe and prevent favourite utensils from getting knotted. From plain white to bright red – there are various colours and shapes to choose from to freshen up your wardrobe. “Models with anti-slip coatings give a firm grip, especially to delicate materials like silk,” Schenk knows. There are also suitable hangers for ties that enable neat and crease-free stowage and guarantee quick handling. However, accessory hangers not only create order, but also help with the daily agony of choosing an outfit composition. “Ties, scarves and necklaces can be assigned to the appropriate styling – that saves time and nerves,” says Schenk. But caps can also be added to the sporty wardrobe with the help of ring hangers. Simply fold in the back part and line up the caps one behind the other. In addition, accessory hangers can usually be used in other places, such as in the bathroom or kitchen for towels or as hangers for various small items. In addition, the right lighting adds a luxurious touch to the overall look. Various lighting systems such as LED light strips are often easy to use and include additional functions such as installed motion detectors or voice control. “Whether in the hallway, in the bedroom or in the wardrobe – the fashionable accessories can be excellently displayed with the right hangers and with the right lighting,” Schenk concludes.