Physics defines light as 100% predictable. Using that guiding principle, and other laws that show how matter moves through the world, Snøhetta asks – or perhaps answers – the question: what would a lamp look like that is designed by the light rather than the other way around? The Aura Collection for Viabizzuno, which debuted at Salone del Mobile, features three different designs, each at specific angles that delineate where the glowing light falls.
An exploration in the design process itself, this collection uses ray tracing and mathematical calculation to exemplify the type of innovation that pushes the collective needle forward. The lights are made of a highly efficient and transparent material ensuring that the light is used to its full potential as it is suspended in space.
Specific angles create a warm glow, coaxing beams of light into predetermined configurations. This creates a pleasing glow thrown onto the wall and surrounding areas, a true spectacle when shown in such a grand configuration at Salone del Mobile this year.
“Rather than designing a fixture to hold light, we set out to design light itself – sculpting it with precision and control,” says Marius Myking, Director of Snøhetta Product Design. “This collection embodies the intersection of physics, engineering, and design, made possible through our close collaboration with Viabizzuno. Together, we’ve redefined what’s possible with light.”
Settling proudly at the intersection of social, environmental, and economical sustainability, Snøhetta partners with industry leaders in a robust variety of disciplines to create thoughtful and impactful products: architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, art, product design, and graphic and digital design. They aim to be a solid cornerstone in these spaces, increasing moments throughout our daily lives for people to connect; after all, the firm shares their name with a beautiful and historically significant mountain in Norway. In a time of increased isolation, Snøhetta creates a culture that unites, be it for the reviving of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, reviving the Library of Alexandria, or the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at the World Trade Center in New York City.
Viabizzuno is an Italian brand shaping the way we view lighting design. Founded in 1994 with headquarters in Bentivoglio, Emilia-Romagna, they continue to use the highest quality materials to offer new visions of how we perceive light within the workplace and at home. Informed design decisions fueled by research-backed practices have continued to increase their notoriety globally, with a sales network active in over 50 countries. Unique solutions and respectful collaboration are natural results of this type of work, spurring precedence for more in the future.
To learn more about the Aura light by Snøhetta for Viabizzuno, visit snohetta.com.
Photography courtesy of Snøhetta and Viabizzuno.