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PERFECT 10*
To celebrate mondo*arc’s 10th anniversary, UK lighting consultancy LAPD choose ten lighting products that have stood the test of time over the last ten years.
When we agreed to write this article we actually thought this was going to be quite easy. Little did we know what we were about to unfold! The whole office sat and we scoped the brief of the article. The debate relating to the generation of this article was fantastic! We started with a long list of over 40 products that, over a three-hour debate, was whittled down to the ten products listed.
I know what some of you may be thinking... ‘What? No LED products?’ I must say that we have not gone out of our way to deliberately exclude LEDs from this article. In fact the Luxeon Star product almost made it in to the final ten products. But the fact is that, as an industry, manufacturers have spent the last ten years shoehorning LEDs in to existing products in the name of ‘new’ product development.
Don’t get me wrong, a percentage of these developments (certainly in exterior products) have been very successful, but in other ways the industry has suffered with poor thermal management resulting in mixed client feelings about the quality and performance of LED products.
It has only been in the last two years that new product development dedicated to LED being the primary light source has emerged. And that’s why LED has not made our shortlist. I’m sure that in ten years time LED will dominate proceedings.
So, enjoy the article and I hope it sparks the same level of debate that we had in our office generating it...
Simon Fisher, Director, LAPD
* Products listed in no particular order
Zumtobel
Mellow Light
Mellow Light re-defined the office lighting product and began the revolution of using micro-prismatic and lenticular sources in lighting fixtures. The beauty of the fitting is that it is future-proofed, by being able to adapt to new lens and diffuser technology and enhancements in lamp technology. One could argue that it prompted the re-write of LG7, and all of the debate that has followed!
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Woodhouse
GEO
Woodhouse was the first company to have “joined-up thinking” with regards to Lighting and Street Furniture. The lighting products they generated have become iconic fittings that are contemporary and elegant. Disc and Parklight have transformed road and public realm lighting solutions, proving that an integrated solution can enhance the value of urban spaces.
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Artemide
Tolomeo
The Tolomeo must be one of the most recognisable fittings on the planet. The beauty of this fitting is that, whilst you might not know its name, you will have seen it. Whether it’s on telly, in your hotel room, or in your workplace, the Tolomeo has subliminally infiltrated public and professional spaces.
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Concord
LED100TE
LED100 was a groundbreaking product in many ways. The cost point was low, the installed height was low, it was easy to install and it proved its longevity when, in 1999, it was re-launched as LED100TE, breaking yet more ground as being the first range to catalogue only TC-TE compact fluorescent and electronic control gear options as standard. Concord’s best selling product of all time and it is still going strong.
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ERCO
Lightcast
The downlighter evolution was embedded by this product design, captivating the pure beam performance of the frosted GLS lamp. ERCO designed a beautiful stippled diffusing glass that cupped the TH lamp and provided the performance we have come to expect from them. As lamp technology progressed ERCO developed the design and today this product offers the designer the quality and output to paint with light.
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Encapsulite
Stick Light
The Encapsulite Stick Lights can be utilised for, and are used worldwide in, applications such as Exhibitions, Stores, Shops, Discos, Restaurants, Night Clubs and Hotels. It has become an object of diversely imaginative application, facilitating designers to perpetuate the artwork of Dan Flavin in everyday life.
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3 Circuit Track
Now supplied by various manufacturers, the impact of the invention of 3 circuit track should not be underestimated. It revolutionised the way that retail and exhibition space is designed and has allowed a limitless pallet for the lighting designer to play with and create amazing environments.
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Mirrorball
There is not a person on the planet over the age of 18 that has not embarrassed him or herself whilst dancing under a mirrorball fixture! Yes, I know it’s not technically a light fitting, but it’s a classic lighting tool that will be around forever.
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Concord:Marlin
Opaline
In this roll call of luminaires it should be noted that there are fittings that are not glamorous, but to which lighting designers owe a debt of gratitude. The Opaline product from Concord (originally Marlin) is one of these products. It has been, and will continue to be, an absolute workhorse of a fixture, predominantly in back-of-house, shell and core building spaces. However, despite its role as a workhorse it still manages to be a brilliantly proportioned fitting, with a consistency of flashing to beat most of its cheap competitors.
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Meyer
Superlight
The perfectly Germanic external lighting projector that is entirely understated, fully flexible and bombproof. Meyer have evolved the Superlight over its lifetime, refining and shrinking it to accommodate developments in light source and ballast technology, whilst maintaining the rectangular, cuboid proportions of the fitting - like Russian dolls, each one smaller than the last.
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Disagree with LAPD's choices?
Send in your alternative Top 10
Think LED or cold cathode should have made the list? Wondering how offerings from iGuzzini, Louis Poulsen or Targetti aren't in the 10? Then email the editor with your suggestions, decisions and derisions.p.james@mondiale.co.uk more...
