LIGHTS: 179OL Epic Two pendant, 173OL Plate and Sphere ceiling
PROJECT: Lausanne House, by xy-ar.ch Fumeaux & Poncety architectes ©Alan Hasoo
the form
The sculptural part of the design is based on two perfect geometric shapes: a round flat disc and a smaller sphere.
The purity of the composition, combined with the richness and contrast of the two materials - warm reflective gold + matt radiating white - made for a piece that works well in different contexts. It adds richness to a simple interior, and calmness to a busy one.
The purest version of this light is the wall and ceiling light, where mainly the disc and sphere are visible.
LIGHT: 140OL Disc and Sphere floor
PROJECT: Hotel Barceló Torre de Madrid by Jaime Hayon ©KlunderBie
the material
In 2010 we had recently started working with brass. We had been interested in the material for a while; the warm soft glow was very appealing. We started exploring working with cast brass as well as polished brass plates.
Polishing larger brass surfaces and coating them with a protective layer turned out to be more challenging than we thought. It took us over a year of testing until every step along the way was perfected.
It begins with the selection of the raw material - there are different qualities of brass alloys, with different ‘shades’ of gold. Then comes the polishing part - large surfaces such as the 65 cm discs of our Plate and Sphere - are physically very difficult to work on for the polisher, and many polishers shy away from this work.
Finally, the protective coating must be applied correctly: type of coating, amount, humidity and other conditions during the operation all influence the final outcome.
The perfect disc is the result of several skilled artisans, each having perfected every step.
Our Disc and Sphere and Plate and Sphere series are made exclusively of solid polished brass, rather than commonly used gold-colored coatings over standard sheet metal.
LIGHT: 173OL Plate and Sphere ceiling light (2015)
the evolution
The series was quickly appreciated, and along with the joy of seeing it used in many beautiful interiors, came the downside of seeing numerous copies.
After a period of reflection, we decided to use this experience as a source of motivation and creative force. While it was not within our control what some companies did with our designs, it was within our control to create new ones.
We did not want the story of our Disc and Sphere to end there, and we decided to think of the existing disc and sphere collection as ‘part 1’, with a continuation that should be equally interesting.
We were still fascinated by the strength of the simple composition of a perfect matt sphere and a flat plate. We began transforming the disc through a variety of operations, many of which did not result in a convincing design. Some however led to interpretations that we felt were unique, novel and strong.
the iterations
We bent (Disc and Sphere Bent),
added to (Disc and Sphere Addition),
subtracted from (Disc and Sphere Subtraction),
intersected shapes (Disc and Sphere Intersecting Tubes),
perforated (Disc and Sphere Perforation),
sliced (Disc and Sphere Sliver),
colored (Disc and Sphere Semi-color),
intersected two discs (Disc and Sphere Intersecting Discs).
We created sequences and spatial sculptures with the Lines, Globes and Discs (Lines, Globes and Discs).
We experimented with materials, other than metal for the disc, introducing acrylic and glass (Disc and Sphere Glass).
Those are the pieces presented here; selected iterations of our reinterpretation of the Disc and Sphere, since its initial creation 10 years ago.
In the Disc and Sphere Sliver, small cuts intersect the surface of the main disc.
The Disc and Sphere Semi-color plays with new geometries by introducing color on one half of the circle.
The Disc and Sphere Bent introduces a bent on one side of the brass disc. This creates an asymmetrical reflection of the globe.
In Disc and Sphere Intersecting Discs, one disc intersects with its neighbor. The two discs can be displayed together or separately.
In the Disc and Sphere Subtraction, smaller circles are subtracted from the circumference of the main disc.
The Disc and Sphere Addition overlaps smaller circles onto the main disc.
In the Disc and Sphere Intersecting Tubes, two tubes intersect the surface of the main disc.
The Line, Globes and Discs collection is a versatile series based on the concept of discs and globes being aligned on a tube. This tube can be short or long, it can be straight or bend around walls, it can bend from a wall to a ceiling. It is both a geometric exploration and a practical response to specific spatial needs. Sometimes a space has an electric outlet in one specific spot in the wall or ceiling, but the light is mainly needed elsewhere.
The Line, Globes and Discs series connects the outlet with the desired light location. While solving a practical problem, a surprising geometry might emerge, such as the light going around corners or from a wall to a ceiling. In the end, the practical problem was the starting point for a concept that ended up having a design character of its own and thus a value and purpose that freed itself from the initial ‘raison d’être’.
With the Disc and Sphere Glass we explored the initial simple shape of a perfect round disc and a white sphere, but the disc would have an animated, irregular pattern created by handmade glass plates. We have roughly 200 glass samples in our studio, and selected and initial 12 patterns for this first collection. Each glass is handmade and unique.
