Promotion: Chinese lighting brand OLL made its international debut at the Light + Building fair in Frankfurt, featuring a display pavilion by architecture practice OMA with a cloud-like appearance.
OLL, a high-end design lighting brand by OPPLE, worked with OMA partner Chris van Duijn on the design of the stand.
Named Light as Cloud, the stand was wrapped in white translucent fabric to create a soft, glowing effect when OPPLE and OLL's lighting collection was illuminated.
The display at the Light + Building fair, which ran from 8 to 13 March, marks the first time OLL has exhibited internationally and the fifth time OPPLE has returned to the annual event.
OMA, OPPLE and OLL worked together with the aim of creating a pavilion that blends traditional Eastern philosophy with modern minimalism.
"The pavilion is enveloped in a translucent white membrane, forming a softly glowing cloud that serves as a highly recognisable architectural landmark within the exhibition hall," said OPPLE. "The design explores how light can function as both atmosphere and infrastructure," it continued.
"Conceptually, the 'cloud' reflects both lightness in form and connectivity in the digital age, symbolising OPPLE's role as a bridge between China, Europe, and the global market through light."
Taking two plots in the Messe Frankfurt exhibition hall, Light as Cloud featured a series of experience rooms that surrounded a central social hub.
OPPLE's Software Defined Lighting (SDL) was placed between layers of fabric at the corners of the pavilion to indicate the entrance points to the central area.
Inside the social hub – which hosted gatherings and events – an installation with layers of fabric fins and colour-adjustable lights was designed to simulate the changing tones of sunlight throughout the day.
"Through flexible colour adjustment and wide-gamut control, the system simulates natural daylight rhythms from sunrise to sunset, importing a complete daily circle indoors and demonstrating the practical value of human-centric lighting for health and comfort," said OPPLE.
From the central hub, visitors accessed the surrounding rooms, each of which had a different theme that aligned with the lighting products on display.
One of the products exhibited was Ink – a curving, squiggle-like lamp informed by the brush strokes of Chinese calligraphy.
Designed by OLL and Italian design studio Habits, the light is lined with SDL modules to form a fluid, sculptural design that is "a contemporary expression of Eastern imagery".
Also designed with Habits is Flow, a hanging tubular lamp that has a colour-changing design inspired by comets streaking across the night sky.
Elsewhere in the showcase was a square lamp named Folio, which draws upon the texture and sheerness of traditional Chinese xuan paper. Set on a metal base, the light shines through a translucent panel in a pixellated manner.
"While reflecting traditional Eastern aesthetics, it expresses light dynamically and contemporarily, opening new possibilities for spatial illumination," said OLL.
Designed to mimic a sundial, Astra is a circular lamp that features a light sphere rotating around the perimeter of its round base.
"The light sphere rotates at an extremely slow pace, simulating the sun's trajectory and visualising time," said OLL.
OLL hopes that the display of Ink, Flow, Folio and Astra together in the Light as Cloud pavilion illustrates the brand's dedication to high-quality design to a global audience.
"Together, these works position OLL within the global high-end lighting design discourse while expressing the brand's philosophy in 'OLL is all," said OLL.
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Shanghai, OPPLE aims to innovate and put its customers first with its own research and development, production, distribution and after-sales services.
"With its powerful dealer base, leading production technology research and development, a wealth of professional experience and considerate all-round services, OPPLE aims to become an industry-leading provider of lighting system total solutions, creating a healthy, intelligent, professional and high-quality luminous environment for users," said the brand.
To find out more about OPPLE, visit the company's website.
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