Now in its fifth year, [d]arc night is the product of a joint initiative between arc and darc magazines and the creative consultants at Light Collective
[d]arc night
As usual, during the evening, temporary light art installations will be unveiled that have been developed by some of the major lighting design studios in collaboration with the manufacturers partnering the initiative. The theme for this year's artistic installations is Christmas gifts. The works in the competition will be the result of the personal reflections by the lighting designer teams on the concept of gifts, the motives behind the exchange of gifts at Christmas and the very act of unwrapping them.
This year, L&L will be the technical partner of the Anglo-Norwegian studio Light Bureau and will supply the lighting fixtures that will light its artwork.
[d]arc awards
The same evening, to be held on 5 December in the industrial setting of MC Motors in London, will see the celebration of the annual [d]arc awards. These Oscars of the lighting world, sponsored by L&L, are awarded on the basis of a peer-to-peer vote that directly involves over 1400 lighting design studios in the process of awarding the best architectural and decorative lighting projects, and the best lighting fixtures.
L&L is competing in the “KIT” category for products, in Exterior Architectural Luminaires and Interior Architectural Luminaires, with Intono and Cameo respectively, both products launched in 2019. There are also two lighting projects in the competition in which L&L lighting fixtures have been used: Foyer Group (Luxembourg) and Dune Square (Moscow). Both projects have been nominated in the “SPACES” category, Best Landscape Lighting Scheme.
Intono // Our new wall-mounted fixture for outdoor applications has a simple, elegant design and features three innovative characteristics: the ability to blend in and to play music together with smart-speaker compatibility. Intono is able to blend into the background: in addition to the four standard finishes, it is also available with a primer coating, so that the fixture’s surface can be finished in the same wall paint as the wall it’s attached to. Intono is also smart because it can communicate with smart speakers, such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, over Wi-Fi using the ZigBee protocol – you can change both music and lighting scenes with quick voice commands. Last, but not least, Intono is a “musical” lamp because it can house a speaker that will play your Spotify or Amazon Music playlists.
Cameo // Line of recessed downlights intended for plasterboard false ceilings or niches in residential contexts. They are available with fixed optics, optics tiltable ±20° or with optics tiltable ±20° plus manual zoom lens. The adjustable versions have an optical unit that can be rotated by up to 360° for precise pointing. The entire Cameo range uses Power LED or Power LED High Intensity depending on the model; all the light sources have a high colour rendering index of CRI >90. The Cameo range is available with a white or black finish, or an RAL finish on request.
Foyer Group Headquarters // The new headquarters of the Foyer insurance company in Leudelange, Luxembourg, has been the subject of a concerted, synergistic operation overseen by the Architecture & Urbanisme 21 Yvore Schiltz et Associés, Parallel architecture intérieur, and Agence Christophe Gontrand & Associés architectural practices, together with the Distylight lighting design studio.
In the area in front of the building, Spot 1.0 projectors, with honeycomb louvre and asymmetrical snoot, were set between the shrubs to discreetly light the dense vertical vegetation with a colour temperature of 4000K (2W, 40°). Beneath the high, porticoed roof, which supports an iconic white facade, square Goccia 2.7 recessed fixtures have been installed, with a slightly warmer colour temperature (2W, 3500K, diffuse optics). The Goccia 2.7 fixtures are dotted around the paving almost as if deconstructing on the ground, in small pixels, the facade with its vertical elements. Once visitors have crossed the entrance, they arrive in the reception area, where the request was for warm, indirect lighting. Lighting for this green island has a cooler colour temperature, in order to highlight its features in contrast to the surrounding area. In this oasis for the eyes, Bright 1.6 (2W, 4000K, diffuse optics) products were chosen. Recessed into the ground and hidden by the gravel, they illuminate the vegetation with small, discreet points of light, highlighting the textures and colours of the plants and shrubs.
Dune Square Playground // This playground, inside the Malaya Ordynka residential complex in Moscow, is the work of the Bureau Druzhba architectural practice. The lighting concept for this project was entrusted to the Moscow-based lighting designers Culture of Lighting (Kultura Sveta).
The wall that marks the edge of the playground is a blackboard for the children to draw on. The wooden beams that form a roof over the blackboard hold Ginko 1.0 projectors with 36° optics and 3000K white light. These create a lively, playful effect while indirectly illuminating the wall. The resulting atmosphere is cosy and welcoming. To light the interior spaces where children can hide and play, Litus 2.4 recessed fixtures with a diffuse, warm light (2700K) were installed in the ceilings. These were specially chosen for their flush installation, which ensures the children’s increased safety by eliminating any sharp, protruding elements.
[d]arc night 2019
5 December 2019,
MC Motors, London
