I love a beautifully-designed lighting fixture because I truly believe a really great one has the ability to illuminate a space – both literally, and metaphorically. Besides the physical light that it quite obviously emits, a well-designed lighting fixture can add manifolds of personality and charisma to a room. They can function as sculptural pieces, that are an extension of your personal taste and preference, truly exhibiting the richness and niche-ness of your curation capabilities. And if they manage to be sustainable as well, then they’re a design curated in heaven. And a lighting design that meets all of these criteria is the Air Light.
Designer: Contardi Lighting x Adam Tihany
Italian brand Contardi Lighting partnered up with designer Adam Tihany to answer a simple yet rather complex question, ” What is green lighting?” The answer to their question was their creation Air – a newly designed suspension lamp that is 100% recyclable, functional, and also extremely decorative. The Air light is a physical manifestation of the exploration of ecological and design values. It features a dual lampshade design, that has the ability to produce a warm and inviting ambience which creates an amusing play between light and shadow, using its engraved laser cuts.
Throughout the entire process, from designing to production, considerable efforts were made to reduce Air’s impact on the environment. The light is made from Green Cast – an acrylic material that can be 100% recycled and recycles industrial waste and end-of-life products. Irrespective of how many cycles for which Green Cast has been utilized, it manages to retain and maintain its mechanical and thermal qualities, as well as aesthetics. Contardi lighting also applies the cream-colored finish of the lamp while it is being produced, in turn eliminating the lacquering phase, and reducing the lamp’s adversarial impact on the environment.
The Air light has an almost sculptural and ethereal feel to it. As you look closer at it, you feel that the lamp is floating both upwards and downwards, creating an intriguing visual illusion. The upper and lower LED lights emit a full glow, creating a warm, cozy, and peaceful aura in any room it is placed in.
