Sep
4
New York City is the stage for people and brands to shine. History as been written by amazing ideas and concepts that make NYC the spotlight for several new concepts.
Design is no exception, but today we’re going beyond that and talk about a lighting theather project covered by NY Times.
The Paramound Hotel was the stage of a lighting strike by two of the best architects of their generation: Will Meyer and Gray Davis. They themselves “maniacs” about the lighting in the spaces they design. Whenever is possible they often choose a pendant light — something that can be seen in the interiors of the Paramount Hotel and the restaurant Harlow in New York, projects recently completed by their firm, Meyer Davis Studio.
Pendant fixtures have so many functions, Mr. Davis, 50, explained. “We like the sculptural aspect,” he said. And “they can be the focal point of a room, or can bring intimacy to a space.” And in hotel projects, he added, “We use them on each side of the bed, which frees up space on bedside tables.” Accordingly to the NY Times article.
Among their favorites are the hanging fixtures designed by Isamu Noguchi in the 1950s, which they have in their own homes. So they were excited to see Issey Miyake’s IN-EI lamps, a contemporary version of that classic design, artfully arrayed in the window at Artemide, in SoHo.
Artemide lamp in the IN-EI Collection by Issey Miyake; from left, Tatsuno-Otoshigo, $1,865; Hakofugu, $665, Fukurou, $795; and Minomushi Suspension, $2,185.
The design wasn’t the only thing that was reinvented, Mr. Davis pointed out. Interesting point about this lamp too is the fact they’re made of reusable plastic.
New York Design Agenda highlight goes to the lovely the Coltrane suspension lamp, from the Portuguese company Delightfull, a dynamic piece they chose for the lobby of the Paramount Hotel. The effect it creates, Mr. Meyer said, is “almost like looking into a flying flock of birds.”
Coltrane Suspension by Delightfull (www.delightfull.eu); $4671 through DeMorais International (www.demoraisinternational.com), 646-583-0849.
The Block 2 from Minotti, by Henry Pilcher, an Australian designer, is another “totally cool” fixture, he said. “It is an amazing evolution of those industrial factory lights we’ve all seen.” The wood frames are a totally amazing twist.
Block 2 by Henry Pilcher, $2,111 at Minotti (www.minotti-la.com)
The two men are also fans of Roll & Hill, a Brooklyn manufacturer whose fixtures they have put in a number of Meyer Davis projects. The Halo Oval Pendant by Paul Loebach, available through Matter in SoHo, is a good example of what makes them so interesting, Mr. Meyer said. “The scale is large,” he said, “but the actual light source is delicate and small” — something might not be obvious if you see it online.
Mr. Davis offered a more romantic perspective. “It’s a piece of jewelry that lights up,” he said. “Like a beautiful necklace.”
This lovely pendant is available at Matter in New York by $8,500.
Lighting is more than technical details, is to bring life into people and make them shine on the surrounding space. Well done Meyer Davis!
