Stockholm Design Week: Dutch designer Hella Jongerius launched new additions to her Blossom collection for Belux at the Stockholm Furniture Fair last week.
There are eleven new suspension lights in addition to the three free-standing lamps already launched in Tokyo in November (see our previous story).
Here's some information from Belux:
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BLOSSOM
Hella Jongerius
The creative credo of Hella Jongerius is based on the well-known motto of the classical modernists: “Form follows feeling”. With BLOSSOM, she has designed a light for Belux, the lighting manufacturers from Birsfelden, which is a surprisingly harmonious combination of colours, materials and shapes. The aim of the Dutch designer was to build on an archetypal shape with its logical design.
Her career began with the now legendary collection of designers, Droog Design and Hella Jongerius is now regarded as one of the most interesting and innovative designers of the present time. She has become known for textile and ceramic objects which put a new interpretation on old craft traditions.
In her designs she is always breaking with perfection and smooth surfaces and searches for new ways of handling familiar materials. Now she has a surprise in store with the BLOSSOM standing light based on contrast. BLOSSOM is available in three carefully coordinated colour-designs.
Each combines three light elements with different properties which complement each other. Hella Jongerius explained that she wanted to create “a collage of shapes”. Each of the blossom-shaped elements provides a particular light: the upper opal reflector serves as general room lighting, the middle element is used for broad accentuated light and the lowest element is perfectly suited as a reading light.
The interplay of shapes and colours is as harmonious as the interplay of light: the calyx on the anodised aluminium rod lights up in a yellowish green, dark aubergine, in metallic blue or metallic pink. Sometimes the colour is shiny, sometime matt. Even the red power cable is colour-coordinated.
For the large round base of the light Hella Jongerius decided on unusual materials; leather stitched with decorative seams, warm terracotta or a soft-touch plastic may suggest upholstered furniture or flower vases. Each light element is individually switchable and dimmable. Hella Jongerius pays particular attention to details: the graceful switches made of cast gold-bronze are hand-crafted in afro-cast.
“Hand-crafted details evoke memories”, says the designer. As a charming contrast to the ornate switches, the grey-green rubberised handwheels for adjusting the height are almost over-dimensioned. If desired, the height of the light can be increased by 30 centimetres using an extension piece which is supplied.
11 suspension lights are available as well as the three standing lights. They can be combined in shape and colour as desired and are switchable and dimmable. The power cable, 3 or 8 m long, is suspended from the ceiling and guided to the baldachin.
Up to four suspension lights can be connected in the baldachin. This is made of silicone and adapts to any unevenness. Cables can also be inserted conveniently from the side. Up to 4 lamps can be connected in the canopy.
