London Events 2021

London 2021: [d]arc room pop-up @ Design London

[d]arc room pop-up, held at the new Magazine exhibition venue as part of Design London, welcomed more than 12,000 visitors to [d]arc media’s first in-person event in two years. Returning to London for its fifth year, from 22-25 September [d]arc room hosted a special pop-up event at London’s new design show, Design London (previously 100% Design). Taking place at Magazine London, a striking new venue situated on the banks of the River Thames, the inaugural Design London boasted a highly curated selection of cutting-edge furniture, contract interiors brands and lighting, as well as emerging talent, high-end collaborations and a diverse talks programme. Over the course of four days, 12,478 visitors attended [d]arc room pop-up, as part of Design London, which welcomed the architecture and design community to London’s new creative hub in North Greenwich. [d]arc room pop-up provided a dedicated area for high-end architectural and decorative lighting brands to show their latest product innovations. Exhibitors included manufacturers: Delta Light; Franklite; Formula Luci Italia; iGuzzini; John Cullen Lighting; Light LAB; Mesh; Nichia; Ray Lighting; Seoul Semiconductor; Thorlux; and Tryka along with associations IALD; ILP; and SLL. Upstairs on the Magazine Mezzanine, the [d]arc thoughts talks programme saw highly esteemed design professionals take to the stage to discuss the latest topics within lighting and design - the first in-person talks programme from [d]arc media in two years. Over the course of three days, the diverse programme included project focuses from Speirs Major and Kate & Sam Lighting Designers, who discussed the [d]arc award-winning Norwich Cathedral, and Mayfair Townhouse Hotel respectively. The programme also featured in depth panel discussions surrounding exterior lighting with Gary Thornton (The Lighting Police, Nulty), Alison Gallagher (Arup), Aiman Shah (Isometrix Lighting Design) and Daniel Lemajic (TLS); lighting control with Mark Sutton Vane (Sutton Vane Associates), Nicola Agresta (Inverse Lighting Design), Ellie Cozens (Foundry) and Miguel Aguado (Lutron); and sustainability and the circular economy with Bob Bohannon (The LIA), Sofia Hagen (Hagen Hinderdael) and Arfon Davies (GreenLight Alliance, Arup). Meanwhile, product designer Samuel Wilkinson and Simeon Chilvers of Cameron Design House examined how technology is pushing product design forward within the decorative lighting sector. In another decorative-focused panel, Anna Burles (Run for the Hills), Marvin George (Foundry), Mark Harper (Dernier & Hamlyn) and Scott Richler (Gabriel Scott) broke down the current trends within decorative lighting while looking at the challenges within the sector,

and assessing whether Brexit is impacting what is possible on a project and influencing design. Alongside this, a series of Diversity in Design panels was hosted by darc Editor Sarah Cullen, which aimed to address the difficult discussions around how the industry can be more inclusive of everyone regardless of their gender, ethnicity or sexuality. In the Gender Equality panel, Krishna Mistry (Mistry Lighting), Ruth Kelly Waskett (SLL President, Hoare Lea), Marcus Steffen (MS Lighting Design) and James Poore (JPLD) discussed the recent Women in Lighting survey on gender equality in the lighting industry; while the Queer Equality panel saw Colin Ball (BDP), Sophie O’Rourke (Nulty) and Emma Cogswell (Skills Army, IALD) examine LGBTQ+ inclusivity within the design sphere, discussing what companies and associations can do to create a safe and inclusive workspace. In the final Diversity in Design panel on Race and Ethnic Diversity in Lighting, Rouwaida Dugawalla (light.func), Alexandria Dauley (United in Design) and Seraphina Gogate (Nulty) continued the discussion that began in darc on the representation and presence of ethnic minorities within the lighting design community. The three-day programme received high praise from visitors for its broad coverage of industry topics, project focuses and wider societal issues. The pop-up event also showcased this year’s [d]arc awards light art installations, which were based around the theme of The Spectrum. Displayed on the Magazine Mezzanine for the duration of Design London, a long-awaited [d]arc night party celebrating all of this year’s awards winners was also held on the evening of 22 September. This year’s installation teams included: Arup / Lumascape; Buro Happold / TLS; Hoare Lea / Seoul; Lighting Design International / LedFlex; Nulty / Erco; and Studio-29 / Kingfisher Lighting. Continue reading to take a closer look at this year’s beautiful installations. [d]arc media Managing Director Paul James said of the pop-up event: “It was great to finally have [d]arc room back again after a two-year hiatus. The quality of the exhibitors and visitors was outstanding and I was very happy to see [d]arc room, together with the [d]arc thoughts conference programme and the [d]arc awards party, as such an integral part of Design London, who I thank for hosting us. “It took a lot of hard work and effort to get the event up and running this year so I was delighted it was such a success. “As an organisation, [d]arc media is constantly evolving, so I am looking forward to coming back next year with an exciting new event for the lighting and design community.” www.darcroom.com Images: Design London

London 2021: LDF Showrooms

Vima Collection Bert Frank Showroom

Vima is the latest luxury lighting collection from Bert Frank which sees the continuation of the brand’s pursuit to experiment with design through elevated form, craftsmanship, and materiality. Taking design cues from the elegant arches, strong lines and bold geometric shapes found in Art Deco architecture, classical undertones are reimagined for modern day. At the core of each Bert Frank design is solid machined brass, a signature of the brand. In Vima, we see this lustrous metal alongside opal acid-etched glass and alabaster quarried from the Aragon region of Spain. bertfrank.co.uk

British lighting studio J. Adams & Co. debuted its first London showroom during London Design Festival 2021. The showroom is in a prime location: just a short walk from the City and London Blackfriars, a stone’s throw from Farringdon station and nestled in the heart of the Clerkenwell design community. With a rich history in design and engineering, the premises, once occupied by an acclaimed scientific glassware manufacturer in the late 19th century, is now home to up-and-coming British lighting studio and manufacturer led by design director Will Earl. Decorated in a signature J. Adams & Co. colour palette, the new showroom space echoes the timeless and refined style of the brand’s evolving collections. www.jadamsandco.com

Showroom Launch J Adams & Co.

A new exhibition by Edinburgh-based curatorial studio Local Heroes showcased 40 new products for the hybrid home as part of the London Design Festival. Running from 18 - 26 September, The Future of Home offered a fresh and sophisticated collection of items for modern interiors from a new generation of designers. A wide variety of products, from furniture and lighting to textiles and collectible craft have been brought together aimed at creating spaces of comfort and style that also reflect the hybrid needs of flexible working. Designers who found themselves at a standstill in 2020 used that time to innovate, speculate and dream and the results are a vision of a future where interiors are as fun, beautiful, comforting and tactile as possible.

Urpflanze is a lighting project that uses botanical ornamental forms to create modern lamps inspired by Tiffany and the vegetal ceramics of Portuguese pottery firm Bordallo Pinheiro. Urpflanze have created a plant-themed chandelier and a smaller lamp series called Cabbage Patch Kits. These new designs are a continuation of the studio’s popular and irreverent Eat Up lampshades which honour the beauty of everyone’s favourite allotment vegetable, the cabbage. The chandelier is based on a popular house plant, the lacy tree philodendron selloum. The leaves of this tropical plant-themed chandelier are made from frosted green laser cut acrylic and supported by a brass armature, which makes up the chandelier. This allows the plant to hang down from the ceiling, and combines traditional lighting fastenings and fixtures with contemporary processes and technologies. The Cabbage Patch Kits continue Urpflanze’s central motif, the cabbage, as the basis for their DIY lampshade kit. Handcrafted in high-quality frosted acrylic, each shade is unique with individually shaped leaves. Echoing the realities of growing on the allotment, leaves are punctured with caterpillar holes. Like an actual cabbage each one is slightly different. Not only are the holes on the leaves in different places, but every lamp is also hand-moulded and so no shade is exactly the same. With the Cabbage Patch Kits you choose the colour of your lamp shade and cable or buy the shade individually and can use it with a pre-existing lamp fitting. Using contemporary digital processes and materials, Urpflanze draws on the traditions of the decorative arts to create fun plantbased products, to brighten up the home. All products are designed and made in Glasgow using local fabricators and suppliers where possible. In future, Urpflanze will offer a more bespoke range working on individual commissions based on an individual's favourite plant or flower. urpflanze.co.uk Image: Rachel Adams

Walac X Juli Bolaños-Durman came together for The Future of Home with The Isles of Reclaimed Wonderment, a collaborative series of one-of-a-kind lighting sculptures. The collection invites the audience to wander into a world of fantasy – a departure from the usual representations of lighting. The Isles of Reclaimed Wonderment come to life using local found glass collected, rescued and gifted over the years alongside graphic wood cutouts. The Costa Rican and French (respectively) duo work together to assemble, using their imagination to transform waste material into fantasy and functional pieces. Composed of little piled glass towers, bottle buildings and fluted loops, reminiscent of fun fairs and abstract science devices, they are drawing unique topological personalities. And finding happiness amidst the scarcity and isolation of the pandemic. “Springing from the need to decorate our homes with beautiful and joyful objects, we permitted ourselves to flow in the creative process and create these together” “Juli’s approach to design is in the same explosion of joy and colours as her approach to life. Stepping into her studio was like stepping into a candy and jewellery store all at once. Her focus on rescuing and highlighting the world’s lost and fallen beauties is incredibly fascinating. While our work met on a playful angle, she definitely shed some colours and light on my darkness, for the better,” says Walac on BolañosDurman. “I have been an admirer of Camille’s approach for some time now. When I see her work, I am energised. Her approach to design is fresh and authentic and makes everyday furniture fun and unexpected,” says Bolaños-Durman on Walac. walac.xyz

London 2021: Design London Products

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1. Flux Haberdashery

he dense clusters of vertically hung tubes are alive with animated light streaming downwards in an infinite cycle. Using technology developed exclusively by Haberdashery, the final installation can be simply toggled between a static, dimmable light, and the animated rain-like effect with each tube displaying a unique, randomly generated flow of light. www.haberdashery.com

4. Integralis Artemide

Integralis is an innovative light that sanitizes spaces. It combines sanitizing efficacy with luminous performance and design beauty. It also integrates itself in both the environments and moments of life by interpreting the rhythms and needs of mankind. Integralis is managed by Artemide App, a digital interaction system accessible to all. www.artemide.com 2. Kuulas Cameron Design House

To celebrate the inaugural Design London show, Cameron Design House created an immersive installation featuring its Kuulas chandelier. The award-winning chandelier focuses on making a statement through modular design. The piece exudes a sense of cultivated elegance with an industrial flair. Made up of 55 glass pearls that have been individually hand-blown by artisans. camerondesignhouse.com

5. Glifo Penta

Glifo comes from a drawing of two lines that, like a typeface, define its space. A vertical element that is also the fulcrum of the whole rotation of the lamp, and an oblique element that moves away from the wall defining the opening angle of the lampshade and offering a hold point, with a wooden finish, to reposition the lamp and to dim the light. pentalight.com 6

3. Branch Empty State

The new collection from Empty State is made up of six highly engineered products including the Branch – a frosted, cylindrical tiered brass structure. With structures following the themes of modularity, whilst drawing inspiration from contemporary architectural styles and design icons through the ages, the products are suitable for a vast array of projects. www.emptystate.com

6. Wellington Wicker Dish Cluster Fritz Fryer

This wicker cluster light is completely free from any harsh chemicals, hand woven of willow, grown in the English wetlands. Hours of craftsmanship and care have gone into the creation of this unforgettably gorgeous cluster chandelier. Available in all four of our metal finishes and can be paired with the flex cable colour of your choosing. www.fritzfryer.co.uk

London 2021: Decorex Review

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1. Humbug Batch Glass

Batch produces bespoke glass lighting, hand crafted in the UK. Updating traditional glass canework by adding a soft wash of colour, the Humbug Collection is a contemporary British twist on a classic Venetian style. The lights are fully customisable in colour, finish and fittings. Each glass Humbug is handblown by glassmakers Jonathan Rogers and Phoebe Stubbs and has a turnaround of 6-8 weeks. www.batch.glass

4. Flute Tom Kirk

The IP-rated Flute wall light is similar in appearance to the standard model, but with an added level of protection allowing you to use it in bathrooms or wet rooms. It is available in both polished chrome or gold finishes. www.tomkirk.com 2. Bebecca Blossom Cocovara

Bebecca Blossom chandelier is a relatively new design addition from Cocovara Founder and Director, Lucy Powles. Inspired by nature, the Blossom chandelier features organic clusters of rock-crystal adorning a beautifully delicate branch, hand-crafted from bronze. Offering a totally bespoke service, it can custom-make its products to any size and finish to fit in with any interior specification. www.cocovara.co.uk

5. Drum Sotis Studio Ceramics

The Drum lamp is a bespoke lamp in four parts. Its colourways transition from black through to white. The inspiration comes from the sound of the constantly repeating waves, hitting the black pebbles at the coast of the volcanic island of Santorini. www.sotis.co.uk 3. Cone Marc Wood Studio

Cone is designed to showcase the beauty and timeless elegance of geometrical symmetry. Each cone is machined from a solid block of brass, with a handblown glass shade delicately suspended from the cone’s apex. The collection comprises a single pendant light that can be hung individually or grouped in clusters. There are three sizes of the pendant available. www.marcwoodstudio.com

6. Folio Arcform

The Folio table lamp is the latest addition to British lighting brand Arcform’s collection. Continuing its trademark curved, sculptural designs, the Folio accentuates its folded curves with strong verticals. Available in brass and satin-steel, each lamp is delicately hand-brushed to a soft, satin sheen in its UK workshop. www.studioarcform.com

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1. Edges Of Luxus - Tiara Atelier Luxus

The triple level base plate is made from 4mm of solid brass to withstand the test of time with handmade patinas and finishes. Available in numerous sizes, the switches are suitable for vertical or horizontal installation with a multiple button or toggle configurations available. Small and large square and small round button options are standard. www.atelierluxus.com

4. Halti Cameron Design House

Cameron Design House is an awardwinning British bespoke sculptural lighting company based in London. Over the years they have become synonymous with unique, contemporary design and refined craftsmanship. Combining individually handblown glass spheres with brass fixtures, the Halti chandelier is a sculptural lighting design with plenty of contemporary flair. camerondesignhouse.com 2. Luna J Adams & Co.

Named after the Roman goddess of the moon, the new Luna collection combines luminous brushed brass with travertine. Exploring concealed light and reflected illumination, Luna takes inspiration from the cosmos, mimicking the effect of a total eclipse by using handmade Romano Travertine stone discs to obscure a concealed LED light source. www.jadamsandco.com

5. Fin King Original BTC

Instantly comfortable and unassumingly elegant, Original BTC designs and manufactures lighting for domestic and contract interiors. The ivory linen shade of the Fin King table light casts a soft light in the space it is adorned, creating beautiful shadows on the intricate hand slip-cast base. www.originalbtc.com 3. Pill Empty State

Made from handblown glass with brass features, the Pill is a capsule-shaped pendant, which is designed to be hung individually or in a cluster. Machined from cast brass or aluminium depending on finishing choice, the Pill is available in a variety of states and colours. emptystate.com

6. Glowbule Curiousa & Curiousa

International renowned designer, Adam Nathaniel Furman has teamed up with Esther Patterson, designer and founder of Curiousa & Curiousa, to create an exciting set of six glass sculptural light pieces called the Glowbule Collection.Each segment is individually free-blown in semi-opaque glass, then meticulously ground and married together. www.curiousa.co.uk

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1. Avalon CTO Lighting

Inspired by the legendary island, from where mystical stories of light and shadows have enchanted the world for centuries, Avalon chandelier showcases cascades of light emanating from a precious ring of alabaster, encapsulated in brass or bronze creating an exquisite illumination. ctolighting.co.uk 2. Ascher Elstead Lighting

Ascher by Hinkley features a sleek transitional design, with a faceted solid crystal centre and bobeches. It is finished in Polished Nickel and has optional black organza shades. Also available in the range is a single wall light, six light chandelier and three light pendant with a black organza shade. www.elsteadlighting.com

4. Luca Fiona McDonald

The Luca chandelier is bespoke and therefore can be made in many shapes and endless dimensions - be it oval, rectangle, square, sphere or as seen here. Its glass is produced and hand-finished in small batches of Amber, Amethyst, Crystal and Smoked or any combination. The steel frame can be finished in white or brass lacquer, or chrome. www.fionamcdonald.com 5. Compass Tigermoth

Discover Tigermoth's elegant chandelier featuring shades hewn from solid alabaster. The soft opalescent alabaster shade is offset by the clean contemporary lines of the hand-grained metalwork. tigermoth.com 3. Ned Pooky Lighting

The Ned floor lamp involves a beautiful, polished marble base, which is topped off with two solid disks of antiqued brass. Use for reading or for lovely ambient light over a corner table. www.pooky.com

6. Sand and Sea Haberdashery

Haberdashery’s Sand and Sea Collection contains delicately suspended clear crystal and moongold ripples arranged to create bespoke sculptural installations, which echo these symbiotic landscapes. www.haberdashery.com