London Design Festival 09: designer Philippe Malouin presented a collection of furniture inspired by architectural cross-braces at The Dock in London last week.
Called Gridlock, the collection of prototypes includes lighting and a low table.
A bare bulb is trapped and held within the metal structure to form the lamp, while a stone top is added to the metal grid to create a table.
Malouin presented the project as part of an exhibition called The Dock, initiated by designer Tom Dixon at Portobello Dock.
More about Philippe Malouin on Dezeen:
Tent Sofa for Campeggi
Hanger Chair
See all our stories about London Design Festival 2009 in our special category.
Photos are by Oliver Holms.
Here's some information from Malouin:
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During London Design Festival, we will be introducing prototypes called Gridlock. This new range of furniture is inspired by architectural cross bracing, a system used to reinforce structures. However, this collection transposes the grid system to fit within the domestic scale.
The structure itself both encases and showcases elemental materials trapped within. A bare light bulb is caged within its respective void, revealing a lamp, whilst a honed stone slab rests atop the structure, to form a side table.
I don’t quite know what to think about this. It kinda fits perfectly well into Philippes portfolio ( that I like a lot ) .. but I don’t want to have it. It’s one of those projects that you don’t have to make on a 1:1 scale. Just make a drawing .. maybe make a hundred more drawings and find a more surprising shape.
I really like the mechano look
But it takes away from the concept of efficient engineering.
Must be lots of fun to replace that light bulb after it burned out.
The table makes more sense to me though.
Disappointing. A far too literal translation of an idea with the result a little clumsy and lacking in form or beauty. The result is entirely unremarkable and looking a little like a 1980′s wine rack!
i was expecting not to like this but i do like the light. i can imagine the great shadows you’d get from it across the walls in your sparsely furnished warehouse space.
it would definitely be a weekends work to change that lamp though, even fluorescents give up and die eventually.
I love it. It’s minimal and elegant and very artful. The table is beautiful .
To me, this work is artful but does not address basic needs that would characterize design. The unshielded light source causes specular glare and relamping appears to require major dis-assembly. For such a primitive lighting result, it displaces an extraordinary volume and footprint. Yes, the fixture does have a very high ‘coolness’ factor, but can you imagine trying to keep it clean?
This is not for the Home..period..it works well for exhibition. it doesnt suit a physical context. its not practical enough