London Design Festival is returning for its 20th edition from 17th September 2022 till 25th September 2022. In addition to exhibitions, curations, and installations, it will witness a substantial footfall of design enthusiasts from across the globe. Renowned British product designer Lee broom, is set to participate this year with a showcase of his Divine Inspiration collection of ethereal lighting pieces at his showroom in the Shoreditch Design Triangle.
To be presented in the lifestyle environment of Lee Broom’s Shoreditch, London outlet, six new lighting collections, that were previously showcased during the Milan Design Week, will be on display alongside existing catalogue. As the name suggests, the collection aims at portraying a sense of serenity and tranquillity which their respective spaces of installation would reflect. In addition to marking 15 years of the brand, the British designer , the collection is the first lighting release in over four years. The evocative lighting designs, are available in a wide range of materials including a limited edition collection in white plaster, handcrafted by the designer himself.
Lee Broom is often known for his ability to push beyond the boundaries to create objects that are a display of his dexterous craftsmanship. The Divine Inspiration collection is a wider banner for six subsequent collections including Vesper, Pantheum, Altar, Hail, Chant and Requiem which are all designed at an intersection of art, architecture and design. Each of the collectable lighting designs is available in different permutations of materials and finishes including carved oak, extruded aluminium, plaster and jesmonite.
In a befitting display of divinity in design, Lee Broom’s Requiem series of sculptural lights are inspired by the marble drapery on ancient statues and sepulchral sculptures. On observing the lighting pieces, one can feel the sinuosity and weightlessness within the solid form of each piece. The limited edition series of lights were initially sculptured in Lee Broom’s London factory by hand, draping fabrics dipped in plaster around illuminated rings, tubes, and spheres. The fluid forms are sculpted and set in shape until solid. Lee Broom discovered plastering and handcrafting as an exploratory technique while studying at Central Saint Martins. The result is an alluring display of drapery with lights that appear fragile, ghostly, and floating in space. To commemorate the 15-year anniversary of Lee Broom, the designer will create only 15 of each of the four limited edition Requiem designs.
Furthermore, the Vesper lights are an ode to geometry and brutalism in design, which is often associated with cathedral lighting. The industrial designer creates these lights using extruded aluminium while exploring a seamless balance and interconnection of cuboids with spheres. Both the duo and quattro versions of the Vesper lights are available in anodized brushed silver and brushed gold tones.
Complimenting the interplay of geometries in the Vesper collection, the Pantheum series explores the design behind the distinctive coffered concrete ceiling of Rome’s ancient temple, the Pantheon alongside the clean lines and cuts of brutalist architecture. The stepped tile-like squares that make up the Pantheum lights were cast in jesmonite and are available to be hung exclusively or in clusters as well-composed wall or ceiling constellations. “When initially designing this collection which celebrates 15 years, I decided to look back at some of the things that inspired me to be a designer in the first place. This led me on a fascinating journey to researching cathedrals, temples, and churches,” expresses Broom.
The Chant series of light sculptures is an illuminated adaptation of the pressed glass bricks, which were often used as an alternative to stained glass in different places of worship. The series takes elemental references from religious architectural spaces and makes up a series of ecstatic lights of blown glass cubes with pronounced circular details. Each of the cubes can be constructed in square configurations to form glowing brick-like two or three-tiered chandeliers.
Instilling a sense of peace stemming from the architectural details of midcentury churches, Lee Broom also presents the Alter and Hail collections. While the Alter lights are an ode to broom’s exploration into angular forms of Mid-century churches and alter, the Hail lights are inspired by the shards of light and shadow created from lancet windows in churches. Both of the elegant lighting collections are elegant adaptations of spiritual realms bound to emanate cathedral-esque visuals upon installation.
Everything you need to know about London Design Festival 2022. Celebrating its 20th year, the festival takes over the city of London with installations, exhibitions, and talks from major design districts such as Brompton, Shoreditch Design Triangle, Greenwich Peninsula, Design London, Clerkenwell Design Trail, Park Royal, Mayfair, Bankside, King's Cross, William Morris Line, and Islington.
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