Virtual Design Festival

Lambert & Fils expands "radical" family of Dorval lamps
The Dorval floor lamp features a single head on top of a simple frame of aluminium rods

Lambert & Fils expands "radical" family of Dorval lamps

Montreal design studio Lambert & Fils has used the limbo of lockdown to create four "brothers and sisters" for its popular Dorval 01 light, which are being displayed digitally for the first time as part of the VDF x Sight Unseen collaboration.

The family of lamps now includes a wall, table and floor light as well as a linear suspension.

Each has the same pivoting heads as the original pendant light, which was designed for Lambert & Fils by French studio SCMP Design Office.

Lambert & Fils expands "radical" family of Dorval lamps
The original Dorval 01 light featured four pivoting heads. Photograph is courtesy of Arseni Khamzin

The Dorval 01 features four square LEDs balanced atop a cross-shaped aluminium frame and promptly won the Interieur Award in the Objects category when it was first launched at Kortrijk Biennial in 2018.

"Since we started developing the Dorval 01, we always had the intention to build a full collection around it," explained Lambert & Fils founder Samuel Lambert.

"We love its industrial edge paired with its poetic impact and we made a promise to Morgane and Sébastien of SCMP Design Office that we would create its brothers and sisters.”

Lambert & Fils expands "radical" family of Dorval lamps
The table lamp is a smaller version of the floor light

The floor lamp features a simple, round aluminium base and a pipe each for its body and arm. Attached to this is a single square head with the same riveted top and rotating functionality of its forebear.

The table lamp follows the same principle, but on a smaller scale, while the wall light sees the pivoting head-mounted straight to the round base.

Lambert & Fils expands "radical" family of Dorval lamps
The wall light features a single head-mounted onto a round base

Only the linear light has four individual heads like the Dorval 01, which are spaced out along a long aluminium rod.

This is suspended from the ceiling horizontally and can be used to light a long dining table or desks in an office setting.

Lambert & Fils expands "radical" family of Dorval lamps
The vertical Dorval can be used to illuminate office desks or long dining tables

The new collection also introduces two new colour-ways in the form of beige and midnight blue to the original palette, which consists of white, black, aluminium and light blue.

The hope is that expanding the family in this way makes the design more versatile and accessible while still maintaining the same visual language.

"The collection is both technical and beautiful," says Morgane Pluchon of SCMP Design Office. "It’s still radical."

Lambert & Fils expands "radical" family of Dorval lamps
Expanding the family hopes to make the Dorval more versatile. Photograph courtesy of Arseni Khamzin

The first renders of the Dorval family are being revealed as part of the Offsite Online virtual showcase by Sight Unseen.

VDF x Sight Unseen
Exhibitor:
Lambert & Fils x SCMP Design Office
Project title: Dorval collection
Website: lambertetfils.com
Email: [email protected]

Renderings are by RenderFolk unless otherwise stated.


Virtual Design Festival is the world's first online design festival, taking place from 15 April to 30 June 2020 here on Dezeen.

Sight Unseen is a New York-based digital magazine that covers design and visual arts, as well as curating exhibitions such as the annual Sight Unseen Offsite event.

The VDF x Sight Unseen collaboration presents projects by 51 international designers as an extension of the New York platform's Offsite Online virtual exhibition.