London-based designer Lee Broom has joined Dezeen Awards 2024 as a judge. Here, he selects five projects that best reflect his work.
Broom is a furniture and lighting designer, as well as the founder of the global design brand bearing his name.
Since establishing his studio, the designer has released over 150 furniture, accessory, and lighting pieces – all designed, manufactured, and sold under the Lee Broom brand and crafted in its East London factory.
"I design for longevity"
Broom's work intertwines elements of craft and heritage within modernist designs and is often imbued with a sculptural quality that is particularly evident in the lighting pieces.
"I like to reinterpret classic designs in new and innovative ways with an unexpected edge," Broom told Dezeen. "I design for longevity with the hope that people will love and live with our products for a lifetime and beyond."
"My background was in theatre and then fashion, so there is often a sense of drama in my work, particularly in my exhibitions where I like to create more of an experiential moment."
The British designer has announced a new lighting collection set to debut in New York during NYCxDesign – his inaugural launch in the US.
Broom among Dezeen Awards 2024 judges
Dezeen Awards 2024 launched on 13 February in partnership with Bentley. On Tuesday we announced our second set of Dezeen Awards judges, including interior designers Patricia Urquiola and Amechi Mandi, and architects Odile Decq and Shawn Adams.
Submit your entry by Wednesday 27 March to save 20 per cent on entry fees. Click here to find out more.
Read on to find Brooms's views on the five projects that best represent the work of his studio:
Orion Light, 2018
"I designed the Orion Light in 2018, which has since become one of our most iconic designs.
"Orion comprises simple modular lights with alternating opaque and solid polished gold spheres and tubes with the same finish, which connect horizontally and vertically to create bespoke constellations of light with infinite adaptations.
"The piece is inspired by the yin and yang, the opposite and the interconnected. The versatility of Orion allows people to create their installations in multiple ways."
Divine Inspiration, Milan design week, 2022
"Marking our 15th anniversary, Divine Inspiration was our 2022 exhibition during Milan design week where we showcased 30 new lighting pieces in various materials inspired by places of worship.
"The collection began with my research into the world of brutalist architecture, which then led me to explore places of worship throughout the ages and the monumental design language associated with religious architecture, interiors, and artefacts.
"Our biggest show to date, which attracted over 20,000 visitors in a week, led the viewer on an immersive journey through vast rooms inspired by places of worship, exploring how light can evoke a sense of stillness, reverence, and contemplation."
Read more about Divine Inspiration ›
Crescent Light
"Crescent Light is one of the simplest and most popular lighting pieces in my collection.
"It is a modernist take on the classic globe light that I have sliced asymmetrically and then shifted to reveal a brass fascia, similar in shape to the crescent moon.
"The inner mechanics of Crescent are very complicated, however, the exterior is simple and seamless which prompts the viewer to question how it was made."
Salone Del Automobile, Milan design week, 2016
"One of our earlier presentations during Milan design week saw us create a unique travelling show, which was staged inside our Lee Broom delivery van and driven from the design studio headquarters in London to Milan.
"The doors were opened to reveal a dramatic surreal recreation of a traditional Italian palazzo with an illuminated floor, showcasing the new lighting range Optical.
"Throughout the week, the Lee Broom 'Milan Van' parked up in each design destination and a few parties on the way, including the Lee Broom x Dezeen block party at the infamous Bar Basso."
Read more about Salone del Automobile ›
Requiem Collection, 2022
"Requiem is an ethereal series of limited-edition pieces, each sculpted by myself in our London factory, inspired by the marble drapery on ancient statues and sepulchral sculptures.
"Each piece appears weightless and fluid but is solid in form, made by hand-draping fabrics in plaster through and around illuminated glass.
"These ghostly forms are then sculpted with more plaster into their final shape and set until solid. The effect is one of fragile drapery that appears to capture a floating light source."
All photography is courtesy of Lee Broom.
Dezeen Awards 2024 in partnership with Bentley
Dezeen Awards is the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The seventh edition of the annual awards programme is in partnership with Bentley as part of a wider collaboration to inspire, support and champion design excellence and showcase innovation that creates a better and more sustainable world. This ambition complements Bentley's architecture and design business initiatives, including the Bentley Home range of furnishings and real estate projects around the world.