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A candle without the flame.
Kristi Cameron
The Metropolis Observed
May 2002
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Photo by Annie Schlechter
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Candela--a portable lighting set from Boston-area design firm Vessel--consists
of four rechargeable luminous pillars that nest in a dimpled vase. Removed
from the base, each light glows about as brightly as a candle; together
they're powerful enough to serve as a reading lamp. Candela has all the
benefits of a simple votive candle--it glows softly, is portable and
affordable (the set is $70), and lasts five hours before the batteries
need recharging--but why complicate the candle? "There are many products
that have been around for a really long time.
They haven't had the same
exploration based on technological advances that many newer products have,"
says Stéfane Barbeau, cofounder of Vessel. "We thought candles,
and ambient lighting in general, could stand to have some innovation."
But the idea was driven by more than an impulse to tinker with a classic.
"Because people are getting cozier in their houses, more people are
using candles and incense," Barbeau says. As a result, home candle
fires have more than doubled over the last decade, from 5,460 reported
in 1990 to 12,540 in 1998 (the most recent year for which the National Fire
Protection Association has data). Safety issues notwithstanding, breaking
into the candle market would be good business: the National Candle Association
estimates that $2.3 billion worth of candles were sold in the United States
last year.
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