New Modern Lighting By Starck, Wanders, Gilad & Others For FLOS Soft Architecture.

Flos recently presented one of its most ambitious and avant-garde products: the Soft Architecture collection.




Created using an innovative composite material (Under-Cover technology) which unites light weight and high strength, these unusual lighting systems created by globally recognized designers, deliver performance, durability and perfect integration with normal plasterboard false ceilings or walls.



The collection consists of many different shapes, unusual inset designs for walls and ceilings and very different wall mounted lighting. The illumination is more of a glow with these designs, rather than a bright spot or beam of light. Lamps disappear into wall elements made of plasterboard, so that all that remains is architecture and light, in any number of different shapes and variants.





All the units in the collection boast eco-friendly materials and ultra-modern LED technology. The collection also complies with the latest international safety and eco-compatibility regulations, as it is made with a non-inflammable material and has "Cradle to Cradle" certification: a design protocol that ensures that companies regard 'sustainability' as a value, not a sacrifice, and offer products which can be recycled eternally.

The FLOS Soft Architecture line consists of designs and collections by Marcel Wanders, Ron Gilad, Antonio Citterio, Calvi Brambilla, Konstantin Grcic, Frank Wellens & Lynsey Leysen, Philippe Starck and Sebastian Wrong.

Here are a few highlights from the FLOS Soft Architecture line.

Ron Gilad's "Architectural Lucinario" is a modern take on stained and classic glass windows, only now they are inset in plaster and can be hung from the ceiling:





Wellens and Leysons "Pluto":


and their "Abajourd'hui 1" and "Abajourd'hui 2":



Sebastian Wrong's "Spun Lights", a 'classic' luminaire with a base and lampshade in small or large, but made of plaster that grows out of the backing panel, giving the appearance of a floating lamp partially embedded into the wall:






Ron Gilad's "Wall Piercings" are made in mobile plaster and added to panels which are then integrated into suspended ceilings or false walls. Countless designs and patterns are possible with these circular rings of light that appear to penetrate the wall:









Soft Architecture is designed to last and to minimize the harmful effects on the natural environment during production. Sustainability, innovation and quality are the main goals, inspired by nature.

Here are some images from their displays at the 2010 Salone del Mobile:







There's a lot more to see at the FLOS Soft Architecture dedicated site.

photos and information courtesy of flos and stylepark

Conceptual Art Meets Luxury Lighting: Holzer, Starck, Flos And Baccarat

Conceptual artist Jenny Holzer, best known for her "truisms"and light projections teamed up with uber designer Philipe Starck, Baccarat Crystal and FLOS lighting to create 2 unique lamps; a floor lamp and a table lamp, comically named HOOO!!! & HAAA!!! The lamps debuted at this past week's Salone Del Mobile in Milan.

Below are some examples of Jenny Holzer's phrases, known as Truisms, that run within the lamps:
Expiring For Love Is Beautiful But Stupid
Decadence Can Be An End I Itself
Abuse Of Power Comes As No Surprise

To see more truisms, go here.

The Floor Lamp aka HAAA!!!:



Only 9 editions of the floor lamp will be made and each will cost a hard-to-swallow $110,000.00 USD approximately. The floor lamp is an iteration of Starck's previous work for Baccarat, the Firelamp, only now it stands 6 feet tall and incorporates an LED display of Jenny Holzers' Truisms that runs vertically within the Baccarat Crystal stand.

Philippe Starck is shown below with his lamp:


base detail:

Starck's Firelamp for Baccarat:



The Table Lamp aka HOOO!!!:
49 editions of the table lamp will be made. This one costs approx $10,000.00 USD. The design is based upon their classic Eury Dice vase, only now with the incoporated LED light strip displaying Jenny Holzer's Truisms.





Baccarat's Eury Dice vase:


The majority of images in this post are courtesy of Moritz Waldemeyer, who did the custom electronics work for the lamps. He was generous enough to share these wonderful images (and the text is his own commentary) of the impressive invitation from Baccarat and Flos to the inaugural dinner at Salone Del Mobile.


above: The invitation to the launch dinner goes into history as the technically most advanced and most elaborate invitation ever. Each guest was sent a small box containing a mirrored cube. Inside this cube was a tiny LED matrix display that scrolled the text of the invitation including the date and location.


above: Included was also a small tool to switch the cube on and to access the battery, should it need to be changed in the future.


above: At the dinner the guests received the catalogue which had a cut out in which the cube fitted and where it was held in place by 4 invisible magnets.


above: The circuit contained in the cube is the most sophisticated piece of electronic design required by any of our projects so far. It contains about 100 LEDs, a processor, on/off switch and a battery to produce a fully functional text display on a board of 25mm by 25mm in size. To fit all components in an aesthetically pleasing layout required many days of manual optimisation and the first working prototype was soldered by hand to test the design.

special thanks to Domus, DesignWS and Corriere for additional images

Baccarat
Philipe Starck
Jenny Holzer
Flos