Gold Lighting Products and Fixtures Design · 2015
5x5 LED Lamp
- A' Design Award 2015 Gold Winner in Lighting Products and Fixtures Design
- Awarded April 15, 2015
- CLIENT: Sijaj Hrastnik
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 30,520
- Verification code B502FE153E · Verify this award
About 5x5 LED Lamp
The story about the 5x5 LED lamp comes together with the 5x5 chair introduced and awarded previous year. The chair's unique material characteristic required tiles’ dimensions of approximately 5x5 cm. Therefore the same dimensions were the starting point for the lamp. In order to avoid the direct form's repetition the 5x5 cm is applied in a form of rhombus, the main modular structure part of the lamp. Several lamps mounted together offer the possibility to create different lighting patterns like zig-zag, diagonal line, the shape of an arrow, or other shapes by using designer's own creativity.
Barbara Princic's 5X5 LED Lamp represents a distinguished contribution to contemporary lighting design, where the heritage of woven craft traditions encounters the precision of modern fabrication technology. The fixture demonstrates remarkable formal intelligence in its transformation of flat metal elements into a three-dimensional suspended sculpture, each rectangular tile interlocking with its neighbors through carefully engineered slots to create a self-supporting lattice that requires no additional framework. This weaving technique, historically associated with basket-making and textile arts, here achieves new expression through industrial materials, suggesting the designer's interest in bridging vernacular craft knowledge with contemporary manufacturing possibilities. The gentle concave curvature of the assembled platform creates a bowl-like form that appears to float beneath its supporting rods, the catenary shape emerging naturally from the structural logic of the interlocking system rather than being imposed artificially. The brushed stainless steel finish contributes both functional and aesthetic qualities, its matte surface reducing harsh reflections while the directional brushing creates subtle visual texture that animates the surface under changing light conditions. The modular grid arrangement of twenty-five interconnected tiles speaks to principles of systematic design thinking, where repetition and variation operate in productive tension. The fixture's square format and symmetrical mounting system suggest architectural integration, designed to complement rectilinear spatial geometries while introducing organic qualities through its woven texture and curved profile. Viewers might consider how this work demonstrates that technological advancement and craft heritage need not exist in opposition, but rather can inform and enrich one another in objects that serve both functional and contemplative purposes.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- 5x5 LED lamp comes together with the 5x5 chair introduced and awarded previous year. The chair's material characteristic required tiles dimensioned approximately 5x5 cm. Therefore this was aslo the starting point for the lamp. In order to avoid the direct form's repetition the 5x5 cm is applied in a form of rhombus, the main modular structure part of the lamp. Several lamps mounted together offer the possibility to create different lighting patterns like zig-zag, diagonal line, the shape of an arrow or of a big rhombus or any other shape by the choice of person who equips the specific place. The curving of led strips together with metal form represent a technical innovation.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Length 600 mm x Width 320 mm x High 810 mm
- Tags
- 5x5 LED lamp, LED diodes, rhombus form, technical innovation, technical experiment, challenge
- Production Technology
- The lamp's main structure consists of thin, flat, ligtly curved laser cut metal sheet plate, surface nickel treated. All modules in a shape of rhombus consist of white acrylic plate, cut and shaped by a vacuum technology. Rhombus forms ared pasted on a metal plate. Led lighting system consists of 8 led strips with 8 6 Watt diodes attached on the metal sheet plate. The curving of led circuit represented a special technological challenge which finally led to technical innovation.
- Design Challenge
- The creative and research challenge was focused mostly on a technical part about experimental work with led strips and translucency of the opaque material. Led strips are usually mounted on a flat surface. Here they were at first mounted and then curved together with metal sheet plate. This was a kind of innovative technological process. In addition the challenge was how to find the appropriate material to cover the led diodes enabling them to transmit enough light through the opaque surface. It is acrylic material that fulfilled all performance requirements.
- Project Duration
- The project started in May 2008 and finished in October 2008 in Slovenia. It was exhibited at Month of Design, October 2008, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Operation Flow
- With its thin elegant form and with a soft light that is spread through the space the light intends to address the end user’s emotions. The white opaque rhombus forms that cover the led strips enable the spread of soft light.
- Research
- It was all about experimental work with led strips. They are usually mounted on a flat surface. Here they were at first mounted and then curved together with a metal sheet plate. It is definitely a technical innovation.
- Inspiration
- I was inspired by the idea that one lamp as a product to be used in private space can be a single module for a lighting system in public space. As explained in a project description the 5x5 led lamp in the shape of the rhombus offers several possibilities to create an extraordinary lighting system in public spaces.
- Image Credits
- Images No.1-5, 5x5 LED Lamp, Andrej Cvetnič, photographer and Gordan Čuka, photoshop expert