Benjamin Hubert experiments with glass blowing to create Beacon lamps
Maison&Objet 2015: hand-cut patterns cast shadows from within these blown-glass lampshades by London designer Benjamin Hubert (+ slideshow).
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The translucent pendant and desk lamps in Benjamin Hubert's Beacon collection both share a similar internal element, but feature slightly different outer shells.
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"The Beacon lamps celebrate purity of form and comprise two simple and elegant blown-glass components," said Hubert.
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The inner tube-shaped glass pieces are hand-blown and then cold-worked using a traditional technique known as battuto, which involves hand-cutting the material to create patterns across the surface.
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When the lights inside the cylinders are illuminated, the markings cast muted shadows on the sand-blasted lining of the exterior glass casings.
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Four different battuto patterns feature in the range, including a honeycomb motif and a rippling water effect.
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Also hand-blown, the outer elements of the lamps are created as pear-shaped forms. The pendant lamp hangs from its thinner end, while the inverted desk version is extended to form a base.
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"Beacon was designed to explore how traditional glass-working techniques can be adapted to contemporary use in lighting, and how light itself can be used an integral element to the design," Hubert said.
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The Beacon lamps were designed during the Glass is Tomorrow workshop held in Denizli, Turkey, last year.
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Both versions are available in white, light blue and pale grey, with inserts coloured slightly differently to create variation.
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The designs were first presented during Istanbul Design Week in November, and shown at the Maison&Objet trade fair in Paris earlier this week.