Design Richard Rogers Partnership - Teclux

Design Richard Rogers Partnership

Design Richard Rogers PartnershipMAANTIS LIGHTING PROJECT - BACKGROUND (DRAFT)‘MAANTIS’ – LAUNCHED AT THIS YEAR’S LIGHT +BUILD EXHIBITION IN FRANKFURT - REPRESENTS ANEW APPROACH TO CONTEMPORARY LIGHTINGDESIGN.IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT RICHARD ROGERSPARTNERSHIP (RRP) HAS COLLABORATED WITH ALEADING INTERNATIONAL DESIGN COMPANY,(REGGIANI ILLUMINAZIONE), TO DEVELOP A PRODUCTRANGE WHICH CAN BE USED IN NEW-BUILD OFFICEDEVELOPMENTS OR IN THE REFURBISHMENT OFEXISTING OFFICE SPACE. IN ADDITION, IT ISENVISAGED THAT THE SYSTEM WILL ALSO BE USEDIN OTHER COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIALBUILDINGS IN THE FUTURE.THE IDEA WAS BORN OUT OF AN INITIALCONVERSATION OVER LUNCH AT LONDON’S RIVERCAFÉ IN 2003 BETWEEN THE LATE GOFFREDOREGGIANI, FOUNDER OF LIGHTING DESIGN COMPANYREGGIANI ILLUMINAZIONE, AND RICHARD ROGERS,THE INTERNATIONALLY-RENOWNED ARCHITECT.THEY IDENTIFIED A SIGNIFICANT GAP IN THE MARKETFOR HIGH QUALITY OFFICE LIGHTING SYSTEMSWHICH EMBRACES TECHNOLOGY TO MAXIMISELUMINESCENCE THROUGH A HIGHLYEFFICIENT DESIGN. THEIR INSPIRATION WAS TAKENFROM THE SUBTLE, IRIDESCENT GLOW OF DEEP-SEA.553.CREATURES FROM THE ABYSS. THE NATURALEVOLUTION OF THESE CREATURES HAS EVOLVEDWITH THEM EMITTING LIGHT ENERGY WHICH ISPURELY DERIVED FROM THEIR OWN STRUCTURE ANDMETABOLISM. IN THE SAME WAY, THE PRISMATICPOLYCARBONATE RIBS ARE DESIGNED TO ENSURETHAT RAYS EMANATING FROM THE PRINCIPAL T5LIGHT SOURCE ARE DIFFUSED, REFLECTED ANDREFRACTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE AMOUNT OFLIGHT SPILLAGE AND GLARE IS MINIMISED AND THESYSTEM PERFORMS IN A HIGHLY EFFICIENT MANNER.EVEN WHEN THE LIGHT IS SWITCHED OFF, THEPRISMATIC RIBS CONTINUE TO ABSORB LIGHT ANDCOLOURS FROM THE SURROUNDING SPACE ANDPRODUCE A SLIGHT TRANSLUCENT GLOW,DEPENDING ON THE EXACT LIGHTING CONDITIONS.THE CONCEPT ALLOWS STANDARD ‘T5’ STRIPLIGHTING, SPOT AND LED LIGHTING TO BEINCORPORATED WITHIN A LIGHTING SYSTEM WHICHIS MULTI FUNCTIONAL AND ALSO OFFERS A HIGHLYAESTHETIC APPROACH TO LIGHTING DESIGN.THE SYSTEM IS BASED ALONG A CENTRALALUMINIUM SPINE FROM WHICH EMANATE A SERIESOF PRISMATIC ‘RIBS’ MADE FROM TRANSLUCENTPOLYCARBONATE. THESE RIBS ARE SUPPORTED BYBRACKETS THROUGH WHICH STRUCTURAL RODS ARECARRIED. THE UNIQUENESS OF THE DESIGN OF THELIGHTING UNIT ALLOWS THE POWER CABLES TO BECOMPLETELY HIDDEN IN THE STRUCTURALCOMPONENTS. THE SEMI-TRANSPARENT BOX ABOVETHE CENTRAL SPINE IS THE ONLY PART OF THESYSTEM WHERE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AREPARTIALLY ON DISPLAY. THE WHOLE UNIT ISSUSPENDED FROM THE CEILING USING FINE,STEEL CABLES.THE LEDS ARE USED AS AN AUTOMATIC LIGHTINGSYSTEM. THEY HAVE A DUAL FUNCTION BOTH ASZONAL INDICATORS FOR LARGE OPEN-PLAN OFFICESAND AS A SOURCE OF LOW LEVEL LIGHTING DURINGAFTER-WORK HOURS. THE OPTIONAL USE OF A SPOTLIGHT IS OFFERED BY AN ADDITIONAL ARM AT THEEND OF THE CENTRAL SPINE. THIS FEATURE CANALSO BE USED TO LOCATE MOVEMENT SENSORSWHICH AUTOMATICALLY ILLUMINATE A SPACE WHENSOMEONE ENTERS A ROOM OR PARTICULAR SPACEIN THE OFFICE..1070 1370 1670.....AMO KALSI, DIRECTOR, RRP, SAYS: “THE REALACHIEVEMENT OF THE MAANTIS SYSTEM IS THATNONE OF THE INITIAL INSPIRATION CONTAINEDIN ITS CONCEPTION HAS BEEN LOST AS IT HASDEVELOPED THROUGH PROTOTYPE AND FINALPRODUCTION DESIGNS. MAANTIS STILL IMBUESTHE DESIRED QUALITIES OF LIGHT AND UTILISATIONOF MATERIALS AND FORM WHICH WERE ENVISAGEDAT THE OUTSET – AND WHICH IS RARE IN THEREALISATION OF ANY NEW PRODUCT.”FOLLOWING THE UNVEILING OF A WORKINGPROTOTYPE AT THE LIGHT + BUILD EXHIBITION,PRODUCTION OF THE FIRST COMMERCIAL VERSIONSOF THE MAANTIS LIGHTING SYSTEM IS DUE TO BEGINBY REGGIANI ILLUMINAZIONE IN ITALY LATER THISYEAR.R e g g i a n i s p a I l l u m i n a z i o n e t e l . + 3 9 0 3 9 2 0 7 1 . 1 p o i n t @ r e g g i a n i . n e t w w w . r e g g i a n i . n e t