October 2005 • Productsphere
Chandelierium
The dizzying return of a grand old fixture.
By Paul Makovsky
Once the mainstay of entrance halls, ballrooms, and royal palaces, the chandelier is making a comeback in a big way. Not only is the recently unfashionable light fixture showing up in the hippest restaurants, bars, and hotels, but designers are deploying them in unusual residential settings, such as bedrooms and bathrooms. Glass-making companies La Murrina and Venini have reintroduced classic forms using traditional artisanal techniques updated with bold colors; luxury brands like Baccarat and Swarovski have hired cutting-edge designers to reinterpret the form. Similarly Zaha Hadid and Patrick Schumacher used advanced digital design and manufacturing methods, such as CNC milling and 3-D printing, to create their Vortexx fixture for Sawaya & Moroni. Whether it’s the shimmering glow of Annet van Egmond’s hanging lamp or Marcel Wanders’s whimsical illuminations, these products will bring a note of opulence to any modern interior.
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Working with award-winning choreographer Nanine Linning, Marcel Wanders came up with this conceptual chandelier, which debuted in Milan earlier this year. A live “Dancing Angel” who serves champagne, chocolate mousse, or petit fours at parties hangs upside down in the center. Wanders is rolling out Happy Hour with an international network of flexible performers for any occasion. www.happyhourchandelier.com.
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