Dezeen Magazine

Metal ball turns Dragos Motica's N Lamp on and off

This LED lamp by Dragos Motica is turned on and off by moving a metallic sphere from one indentation to another.

The N Lamp, designed by Motica for his Romanian design brand Ubikubi, was named after Newton's cradle – a device, now commonly found as a desktop toy, with swinging spheres that transmit force back and forth.

N Lamp by Dragos Motica for UBIKUBI

Motica's lamp also utilises a movable sphere, this time for the purpose of creating light. The marble base incorporates an inductive sensor, which detects the proximity of metal objects.

Two hemispherical indentations in the base act form the switch, and by moving the metal sphere from one indentation to the other, the light is turned on and off.

N Lamp by Dragos Motica for UBIKUBI

The N Lamp's appearance is otherwise based on traditional water pumps found in rural areas of Romania. It features a two powder-coated metal tubes anchored by a marble or Corian counterweight.

Motica describes the tactile lamp as promoting calm through design.

"Nowadays, as we are constantly surrounded by a huge information volume, the task of clearing your mind and space seems even more burdensome," Motica said. "A way to tackle this issue is to surround yourself with objects that, through their aesthetic and function, make your life easier."

N Lamp by Dragos Motica for UBIKUBI

"N Lamp uses this principle and strives to encompass the essentials a desk lamp should have," he continued.

Dragos Motica founded his eponymous studio in 2008 and co-founded Ubikubi with Robert Savu in 2014.

The Bucharest-based designer's past projects include the concrete Slash Lamp, which comes with a stone so the user can smash the shade to reveal the reinforcing steel mesh.

More images

N Lamp by Dragos Motica for UBIKUBI
N Lamp by Dragos Motica for UBIKUBI
N Lamp by Dragos Motica for UBIKUBI
N Lamp by Dragos Motica for UBIKUBI
N Lamp by Dragos Motica for UBIKUBI