Aria and Avia lamps by Zaha Hadid for Slamp

Milan 2013: Zaha Hadid will present two monochrome pendant lamps for Italian brand Slamp at the Euroluce lighting show tomorrow.

Aria and Avia lamps by Zaha Hadid for Slamp

The Aria lamp (above) contains a core of six light sources facing outwards plus a downward-facing spotlight, which shine through 50 sheets of translucent black plastic. Each plastic profile is slightly different so they form a fluid, asymmetric shape when hung radially.

Aria and Avia lamps by Zaha Hadid for Slamp

Avia (above and below) has a similar construction, but the plastic sheets are opaque and can be white or black. This second model is available in two small sizes for residential use and two bigger forms for installation in large spaces.

Aria and Avia lamps by Zaha Hadid for Slamp

The lamps will be unveiled at the Euroluce lighting exhibition taking place alongside the Salone Internazionale del Mobile at Milan Fairgrounds from 9 to 14 April. Slamp‘s stand will be located at A15-B12, Hall 9.

Aria and Avia lamps by Zaha Hadid for Slamp

Above: Aria pendant lamp

Zaha Hadid is also showing twisting auditorium seats and limited-edition marble tables in Milan this week. See all our stories about architecture and design by Zaha Hadid.

Aria and Avia lamps by Zaha Hadid for Slamp

Above: Avia pendant lamp

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Aria and Avia lamps by Zaha Hadid for Slamp

Above: Avia pendant lamp

Here’s some extra information from Slamp:


Aria by Zaha Hadid

Aria is a lamp designed by Zaha Hadid which combines dramatic architectural features with the intrinsic weightlessness of the materials, creating a sculpture of light and technology that fascinates and enchants observers.

The 50 individual layers of Cristalflex (a techno-polymer patented by Slamp) work together to make Aria seem as if is about to take flight, characterised by complex yet harmonic forms that embrace the light source in a veiled breath.

The large lamp is formed of a central structure capable of flooding the entire room with light, thanks to 6 light sources and a spotlight directed downwards.

With an 90 cm diameter and 130 cm high, Aria enhances any space, rendering it luxurious without losing any of its contemporary style.

The elegant black veiled finish lends a touch of mystery and seduction.

Avia by Zaha Hadid

Avia combines the majesty of great architecture with a lamp for day-to-day use, perfectly integrating large volumes with advanced lighting techniques and technology.

To give shape to such an ambitious project the designer used 52 different layers of Opalflex, a techno-polymer patented by Slamp, creating an effect of fluidity, dynamism and harmony resulting in a perfect architectural form that gently embraces the light source.

Avia captures the gaze of anyone who draws near, offering constantly changing perspectives and reflections, transforming itself from a simple light source into a genuine sculpture to be admired, making any space more suggestive.

The central structure is capable of providing 360 degrees light, thanks to its numerous light sources and a downwards-facing spotlight.

The lamp is available in 4 different sizes, making it capable of adapting to any kind of space: two smaller sizes, ideal for use at home and two larger versions for enhancing large-sized spaces. Two colour tones are available: the uncontaminated purity of total white and the absolute elegance of total black.

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Radice Stools by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi

Milan 2013: British designers Industrial Facility will unveil these three-legged stools for Italian design brand Mattiazzi in Milan this week (+ movie).

Radice Stools by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi

Named Radice, the stools combine the front-half of a traditional four-legged stool with an unusual single leg in the middle of the back.

Radice Stools by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi

“Radice has some tension in its form and it is a slight surprise that the third leg works as well as it does to resolve the overall structure,” says Industrial Facility’s Sam Hecht. “It is in some ways structurally diagrammatic, yet is made comfortable visually and physically because of how this third leg supports the seat.”

Radice Stools by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi

A low backrest branches upwards from the back leg. Its t-bar shape provides a practical place to hang coats and handbags and is reflected in the bracing at the top and bottom of the legs.

Radice Stools by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi

The Radice stools have no visible fixings or screws and the seat appears to merely rest on the leg frame.

Radice Stools by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi

Manufactured by Mattiazzi, the stools will be available in red, yellow, black or natural wood, with additional cushion options. There is also a choice of two heights.

Radice Stools by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi

This is Industrial Facility’s second product for Mattiazzi: in 2010 they presented a chair called Branca, inspired by the growth of tree branches. See all our stories about design by Industrial Facility.

Radice Stools by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi

Mattiazzi will show the project at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile from 9 to 14 April, alongside chairs based on camping equipment by Jasper Morrison. See all our stories about Mattiazzi.

Radice Stools by Industrial Facility for Mattiazzi

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Ascent lamp by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan

Milan 2013: designer Daniel Rybakken will launch a table lamp that dims as it’s pushed down a thin vertical stand at Euroluce in Milan this week. 

Ascent lamp by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan

The intensity of the light alters as the position of the aluminium head is adjusted, dimming and eventually turning off as it reaches the table.

Ascent lamp by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan

The ability to change the shade’s position also enables the user to choose how far the light spreads.

Ascent lamp by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan

The product for Luceplan is called Ascent and comes in two versions: one with an anchor bolt, the other with a base.

Ascent lamp by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan

Daniel Rybakken used the same head as on Counterbalance, a wall-mounted lamp he created for the same brand last year.

Ascent lamp by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan

Ascent will be presented at Euroluce in Milan from 9 to 14 April. Other lighting designs to be launched in Milan include a folding table lamp by Nika Zupanc and the glass 57 Series by Omer Arbel.

Ascent lamp by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan

Other lighting projects by Rybakken include A lamp that filters light through layers of coloured screens and a series of LED panels that replicate daylight on a dark staircase in Stockholm.

Ascent lamp by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan

Here’s some more information from the designer:


Ascent uses the same archetypical head found on Counterbalance (Luceplan 2012), mounted on a slender vertical stem. By moving the head along the stem, the light intensity goes from being turned off at the bottom position, to gradually ascending to the full light output at the top. This gives the user control over not only the light intensity, but also the spread of the light.

The visual elements of Ascent are all recognizable, from the classic head to the round stem, but it is the way you use Ascent that makes it different from existing lights. The gesture of sliding the head upwards for more light and down for less is a conceptual idea, but at the same time an action that feels natural.

Ascent comes in two versions, with an anchor bolt for tables, or with a base. The anchor bolt is made impact resistant by having a co-molding of steel and rubber in the base, allowing up to 15 degree of tilt of the stem. As to protecting the inner mechanics and electronics the head is made to rotate freely. These measures make Ascent suitable for larger public spaces as well as for domestic use.

Head in aluminium, stem in technopolymer, 10W LED – 2700K light source.

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Semplice lamp by Industrial Facility for Oluce

Milan 2013: London studio Industrial Facility will present a lamp with a glass base wrapping round the beam of light in Milan this week.

Semplice by Industrial Facility for Oluce

Named Semplice, Industrial Facility‘s lamp for lighting brand Oluce comprises a round glass stand capped with a metal shade in black or white.

Semplice by Industrial Facility for Oluce

Other projects by Industrial Facility include a wooden chair that combines robotic and handcrafted production processes for Mattiazzi and an alarm clock for IDEA International that uses a bell as part of the casing.

Semplice will be presented at Euroluce in Milan from 9 to 14 April.

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Scoop chair by KiBiSi for Globe Zero 4

Milan 2013: this office chair by Copenhagen design firm KiBiSi is mounted on a Y-shaped stem, allowing the seat of the chair to rock back and forth as well as rotating left and right.

Scoop chair by KiBiSi for Globe Zero 4

The Scoop Chair has a gyroscope-like suspension system intended to create the feeling of moving freely in the air.

Scoop chair by KiBiSi for Globe Zero 4

The chairs have upholstered cast-foam seats in a range of different fabrics and will be available in a colour scheme inspired by ice cream shades. Frames will be polished aluminium or powder-coated in black and white.

Scoop chair by KiBiSi for Globe Zero 4

“We wanted to stay clear of a home decorative cutesy product and contract business polish. We needed to establish a new middle ground that would bridge private and public spaces,” said KiBiSi partner and creative director Jens Martin Skibsted. See all our stories about projects by KiBiSi.

Scoop chair by KiBiSi for Globe Zero 4

The chair forms part of a series of furniture KiBiSi has designed for Danish furniture brand Globe Zero 4 and will be presented at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan from 9 to 14 April.

Scoop chair by KiBiSi for Globe Zero 4

KiBiSi is an industrial design firm founded by Lars Larsen, Bjarke Ingels Group and Jens Martin Skibsted.

Scoop chair by KiBiSi for Globe Zero 4

See more news and products from Milan 2013.

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Nichetto=Nendo collection in Milan

Milan 2013: Italian designer Luca Nichetto has teamed up with Japanese studio Nendo to create a range of products including a knitted room-divider and a scaly carpet, which will be presented in Milan next week (+ slideshow).

The seven co-designed projects will be exhibited at Foro Buonaparte 48 in the Brera district of Milan from 9 to 14 April.

Nendo will also show a zig-zagging wooden bookshelf in Milan and have refurbished the womenswear floor in the city’s La Rinascente department store.

Luca Nichetto installed his idea of the house of the future at imm cologne earlier this year and presented a lounge chair with a folding backrest at the same event.

Photography is by Hiroshi Iwasaki.

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BERG by Thorunn Arnadottir

Product news: these hexagonal storage boxes by Icelandic designer Thorunn Arnadottir use varying shades of grey to distort perspective.

BERG by Thorunn Arnadottir

Named BERG, the monochrome collection comprises three differently sized containers that can be used for storage, as stools or as low tables.

Thorunn Arnadottir used a hexagonal shape to reference the basalt columns that are common to the Icelandic landscape. “The basalt columns are by nature very geometric and can have beautiful disorientating shadows in them,” she explains.

BERG by Thorunn Arnadottir

To exaggerate the geometry of the objects, the designer applied three contrasting shades of grey to accentuate the shadows and highlights. She then created a false perspective by dividing the lids into thirds to mimic a two-dimensional drawing of a cube.

Arnadottir comments: “I wanted to play with the boundaries of ‘faking’ something, to make it look like a natural product, a heavy massive piece of stone, but at the same time have something that’s obviously artificial by mixing materials and playing with optical illusion geometry.”

BERG by Thorunn Arnadottir

The collection is produced by Icelandic kitchens brand Brúnás and each piece is made from offcuts of faux-stone veneer and MDF. Narrow recesses along the lips of the objects makes it easier to remove the lids.

BERG by Thorunn Arnadottir

Thorunn Arnadottir presented BERG at the Harpa concert hall in Reykjavík for DesignMarch, which took place from 14-17 March. Other projects on show included a seal-shaped blanket and a pair of aluminium tables with uneven sand-cast surfaces.

BERG by Thorunn Arnadottir

Here’s a project description from the designer:


Thorunn Arnadottir debuted her new collection BERG, made by Brúnás, at Harpa in Reykjavík, during Design March 14-17 March.

Brúnás are a cabinet making workshop that works a lot with surfaces, veneers and laminates, that imitate natural materials. Their specialisation is fulfilling the customer’s dream of the perfect kitchen unit, in affordable yet durable materials.

BERG make use of their specialised skills at imitating natural materials: they are faux basalt columns, hexagonal rock formations that are a prominent feature in Icelandic landscape.

For BERG, Brúnás can use smaller offcuts of their faux stone veneer and MDF from their workshop, which are usually too small for kitchen tops.

BERG come in three different heights and can be used as small side tables, stools and storages. They can grouped together in clusters to form a bigger landscape of tables. The edge of the lid and the edge of the box are sloped in opposite directions, creating a good grip to lift the lid off the box.

BERG is part of a collaboration project between Thorunn and Make by Þorpið.

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Theca and Steelwood Galva by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis

Milan 2013: French brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec will present an aluminium sideboard for Italian furniture brand Magis plus an update to their Steelwood chair in Milan next week.

Theca and Steelwood Galva by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis

The Theca sideboard by the Bouroullecs for Magis combines an aluminium body and sliding doors with wooden shelves that bolt to the punched aluminium sides.

Theca and Steelwood Galva by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis

The aluminium comes in a black or natural finish and the shelves come in cherry or ash. The sideboard is available in four sizes.

Theca and Steelwood Galva by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis

Steelwood Galva updates the brothers’ famous Steelwood chair – launched in Milan in 2007 – and matching bar stool (not pictured) with a galvanised steel finish and beech-wood option.

Theca and Steelwood Galva by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis

Both products will be shown at the Magis showroom at Corso Garibaldi 77, Milan, between 9 and 14 April.

Theca and Steelwood Galva by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis

The Bouroullecs recently launched a DIY curtain kit based around a hanging cord that winds up like a guitar string and last year they designed a set of furniture for Copenhagen University – see all design by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

Other products launching in Milan this year include a wooden chair with legs like ice skates and modular furniture made from Meccano-like perforated steel plates – see all products and news from Milan 2013.

Here’s some more information from the designers:


Theca constitutes a logical continuation of our work with Magis and the manufacturing process of metal stamping – a language we had already explored with the Steelwood project. We find fascination in turning a thin sheet of metal into a rigid structural piece with a single considerable punch – but even more are we fascinated by the challenge of creating domestic pleasant objects with a technology usually used for industrial parts.

The very basic typology of the Theca sideboard can be found in all forms, from different eras dating back to the 18th century and with a great appearance in mid century’s Scandinavian design – we tried to find a contemporary yet simple and unobtrusive language.

Theca and Steelwood Galva by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis

The body (frame) of the sideboard is composed of stamped aluminium sides and solid wooden shelves, the back and the sliding doors are made of (cut and bent) aluminium. The construction is simple – bolts fix the solid wooden boards to the punched aluminium sides. Two tones are available for the anodized finish of the aluminium parts – black or natural. The shelves come in European cherry tree or black stained ash. Theca exists in four sizes, two different heights (55cm and 78cm) and two different widths (90cm et 120cm). The higher version comes with an additional shelf.

Steelwood Galva is a new version of the Steelwood chair and bar stool in galvanised steel and beech wood.

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Mafalda by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso

Milan 2013: Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola will present a collection of armchairs with wavy backs and seats made from rigid felt for Italian brand Moroso in Milan next week.

Mafalda by Patricia Urquiola

Patricia Urquiola’s Mafalda collection for Moroso comprises two sizes of beech-framed armchairs with deeply curved backs moulded from recycled polyester fibres.

The chairs will be presented at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan from 9 to 14 April – see all news and products from Milan.

Mafalda by Patricia Urquiola

Urquiola has collaborated with Moroso several times before, creating designs such as a sofa inspired by traditional patterns from Uzbekistan and a woven chair on a tubular steel frame – see all Moroso design.

Mafalda by Patricia Urquiola

We recently featured Urquiola’s collection of ice cream coloured poufs and rugs as well as a movie filmed by Dezeen in which she explains why most kitchen design is “too masculine” – see all design by Patricia Urquiola.

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Blocco stool by Naoto Fukasawa for Plank

Product news: Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa will launch a stackable wooden stool with a stainless steel footrest for Italian manufacturer Plank in Milan next week.

Blocco stool by Naoto Fukusawa

The Blocco stool is an addition to the Blocco chair designed by Naoto Fukasawa for Plank and launched in Milan last year.

Blocco stool by Naoto Fukusawa

Made from ash, the stool comes in natural lacquer, black stained lacquer and three matt colour finishes: grey, white and blue.

The stool will be on show at Plank’s stand at Salone del Mobile from 9 to 14 April – see all news and products from Milan 2013.

Here’s some more information from Plank:


With enthusiasm, as always, Plank presents its products at the Salone del Mobile. The company seeks to go beyond the presentation of simple objects, suggesting more than just a “product”, rather an idea of how to enjoy your own space at best.

This year the project that has passionate the company, is the expansion of the BLOCCO family designed by Naoto Fukasawa. The concept for the chair is the idea of simplicity given by the equal partition of the wood and its harmonious proportions which create the entire architecture of the chair. The product is both a chair and armchair, in natural ash and in matt open grain colours.

The stool, the last born product, enhances the great precision in the planning process and the attention to the proportions thanks to a careful method of formal reduction. The ring for the foot rest changes material to alienate its self from the wooden architecture of the stool pending and hiding any kind of fixation or joint mechanism.

Moreover this year Plank is dedicated to the presentation of the most prestigious products of its collection. The company looks back at the last years of its history, rewarded with great success and with products that have marked the history of Italian design.

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