Delicate and bold. Unconventional and versatile.
AREA interview with Gordon Guillaumier, Alberto Piva
text by Davide Cattaneo
photo by Ottavio Tomasini
A clear and continuous path, an archetypal shape for the world of lighting – namely the arc – and three basic elements that fit together and balance each other out: in short, a product of pure research and technology designed to illuminate outdoor spaces, but also interior rooms. In Curved Air is what happens when the creativity and signature rigorous style of Gordon Guillaumier meets the design abilities of Platek, as its Marketing Director Alberto Piva tells us.
Davide Cattaneo: What are the constituent elements of In Curved Air? What are the formal inspirations behind it?
Gordon Guillaumier: When we started discussing how In Curved
Air would look with the company, I had a vision of a lamp with sleek, minimalistic features. An archetype of design with simple lines: an arc sailing through the air, defining a curved space. A truly extraordinary lamp in terms of technique and materials capable of bringing light back into the heart of terraces, verandas and porches everywhere. In these oft-overlooked spaces, this lamp offers a decorative as well as functional element with unparalleled technical performance.
D.C.: Technologically speaking, what are the strong points of In Curved Air?
Alberto Piva: Its strengths have been defined by all sorts of aspects, first and foremost the choice of materials, which had to be light and reliable above all. Then we had to meticulously research the optics to provide good visual comfort and, last of all, we added smartphone-compatible remote control technology.
D.C.: What materials did you choose and why? What are their characteristics?
G.G.: The choice of materials defined the design of the project, as they had to be a good match for its profile. Three simple elements – the base, the arched stem and the light source itself – were our jumping-off point
for exploring a variety of possible materials. Brushed terrazzo concrete for the base, high-quality dyed-through nautical rope for the stem and, of course, metal for the small dome that houses the tailor-made Fresnel optic: the heart of an efficient, perfectly calibrated light source.
D.C.: This issue of area is dedicated to the relationship between indoors and outdoors. Given the fact that you have exterior lighting design in your DNA, what are your thoughts on the increasingly close relationship between ‘in and out’?
A.P.: You could say that we bridge the gap between in and out, and these days our products can definitely be right at home indoors. Platek started life as a technical outdoor lighting company, putting us in a position that has now allowed us to become an exceptionally reliable partner for any and all kinds of outdoor solutions. Over the last few years, we have also started to produce lights with more decorative flair than previously, intercepting and perhaps even anticipating a trend
of furnishing open-air spaces according to many of the style and taste principles that are central to interior design.
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