DX London

Foscarini pays homage to modern architecture's love affair with concrete and shines a new light on the material.

The challenge for Italian lighting luminaries Foscarini in creating their 2010 Aplomb suspension light was translating a heavy, viscous material best suited to large scale projects into something delicate, elegant and suitable for interior spaces.

How to reinterpret a material normally associated with construction and turn it into something gentle and airy? How to create a sense of flexibility and fluidity while retaining the raw beauty and texture of concrete?

Much research and experimentation went into achieving the best solution. The light had to break new ground for the Foscarini brand, express a new idea and create new meaning.

A fluid mixture was developed, malleable enough to be poured into a small mould but still resistant to impact and heat.

Designers Paolo Lucidi and Luca Pevere created a compact form with a narrow stem, giving a solid but elegant appearance. The surface of the light appears rough at first but is smooth to the touch thanks to a transparent layer finish.

Foscarini describe their Aplomb light as the "archetype of simple and concrete design" - concrete in form and material, with a quiet grace that speaks volumes.

Foscarini
foscarini.com