Tom Dixon → Luminosity & Materiality
Tom Dixon is back on the road to embark on a Grand Tour of Europe. They are about to visit eight cities to showcase their latest innovations and to explore two themes – Luminosity and Materiality
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Luminosity:
During Milan Design Week, they have investigated LUMINOSITY, hosting a luminosity exhibition at the Manzoni, their Hub and restaurant in Milan. They have launched two new produdcts: the MELT Chandeliers and PRESS Pendants.
Adorning the revived interiors of The Manzoni include brand new Tom Dixon lighting, furniture and accessories including MELT chandeliers; PRESS lights; CLOUD bowls; PUCK and TANK glassware alongside the Studio’s best-selling pieces such as the FAT, WINGBACK and SCOOP chairs, SPRING lights and CORK tables.
On the theme of Luminosity, Tom says: ‘Lighting is the area that we are best known for and there is a reason for this: lamps are the most visible of any interior product because they are ACTIVE – they produce light and as a result are transformative to an environment. We are determined to go into a bit more depth into this idea of transformation through lighting because we still feel that it’s a category that people feel less knowledgeable about and seek to understand more the power to alter mood through light. Light is the mysterious force that allows us to see the world.’
The British design brand’s ‘Black Light’ exhibition in partnership with Valextra, the iconic Italian luxury leather goods brand is inspired by the archives of the Milanese masters Gio Ponti, Ettore Sottsass and Achille Castiglioni.
Of ‘Black Light’ Tom says: ‘These sculptures are the result of two years of intense research with our Austrian professional lighting partner Prolicht into rethinking track lighting. We have decided to show the potential of this new system by making these 10 lighting sculptures that are a really unusual way of using the latest in warm white Light Emitting Diodes. On the largest sculpture there are as many as 10,000 individual light points, which make these objects the very incarnation of luminosity, however the quality of light is still surprisingly soft and flattering and fills a space with an ethereal glow unlike any lamp we have seen before.’
Materiality:
Tom Dixon is back to celebrate London Design Festival, the biggest campaign on their home turf, and had investigated the theme of MATERIALITY showcasing brand new launches in furniture and lighting.
From the 18th – 26th September the entire Coal Office was open to the public and the events schedule had included a series of parties, VIP events, A&D presentations, Press Previews, workshops and afternoon teas.
Tom says: ‘I became a designer in large part because of a curiosity in materials which sparked, I think, from a pottery class at age 15. When the magical transformation of an amorphic blob of wet and cold clay into a hard, shapely colourful piece of (semi) functional tableware was definitely a revelation and that joy of transformation is still what I get excited by today.
In a digitally-driven world where a lot of our lives are lived intangibly in the virtual world behind the screen, I believe that we yearn for the tactility and texture of real materials and want to surround ourselves with objects of weight and material interest.’
The ‘Materiality’ exhibition included:
The new MASS collection, a family of super-polished solid brass tables, coat and bookstands. Created exclusively for LDF, a limited-edition MASS 4-Poster bed will be on display in the Gallery which will be upholstered and decorated in Kvadrat fabrics.
The Cork as a material is experiencing a resurgence in design and architecture since it is recyclable and carbon negative, as it can be harvested without harming the tree that it grows on.
Recently launched globally at Salone del Mobile, the new PRESS lights feature in a window display in the shop. Made from extremely thick glass, the pendant shapes are reminiscent of shipping buoys and children’s toys and the rippled surface projects linear and stripy patterns onto its surroundings.
The award-winning PUCK glassware is on display in one of the shop arches. Acknowledging Tom’s love of stacking, the collection features a sculptural totem highlighting the craftsmanship and shapes of the range. The new GLOBE BURST, a large in scale and highly reflective spectacular chandelier made up of 12 spherical orbs exploding from a single point will complement the PUCK display.
The new MELT Chandeliers launch for the first time in the UK during LDF and feature in a kinetic installation, exploring luminosity, light-play and movement. The MELT Small Chandelier features four orbs protruding from steel tubes and is one metre high. Fitted with a new LED module, the MELT Chandeliers are Tom Dixon’s attempt to rethink the contemporary chandelier. The highly reflective polished aluminium CLOUD collection, a family of platters, bowls and vases are also on display with MELT.
Tom Dixon’s collaboration with leading global bathroom manufacturer VitrA is showcased in their retail shop throughout LDF. The new collection, entitled ‘Liquid’ is a comprehensive range that encompasses all elements of the bathroom – sanitaryware, furniture, taps, tiles, shower systems, and accessories – designed to work together or as stand-alone pieces. One of the arches in the shop will feature a beautiful fountain installation highlighting the new range.
Tom Dixon’s new ‘Fat’ collection with Danish architectural ironmongery brand d line also debuts during LDF. The collection comprises a lever handle, as well as a door knocker, doorstop and a selection of pull handles. Each piece’s ‘normal’ aesthetic has been magnified, using the word ‘fat’ to imply generosity and softness of form. The collection is mounted on a mirrored display in the shop.
Tom Dixon has won the 2021 Elle Decoration UK British Design Award, awarded to designers and brands who have “strived to make our spaces happier, healthier and mores sustainable” during the past year.
