IRO Keeps turning heads

Our eye-catching Iro pendant light rotates on a single axis to cast a beam of light in any desired direction. Designed by German duo Zinke / Carpenter, it is manufactured in Australia as part of our successful ISM Sparks mentoring program.

Designers Christian Zinke and Robin Carpenter met during their studies at the University of the Arts Berlin and founded their design studio Zinke/Carpenter in 2004. The Iro pendant was their first design to be shown in an international fair but since then, they have worked with clients such as Bugatti and Atari and continue to create inspiring designs both individually and as a team.

Conceptually, Iro was designed as an ‘eye’ that rotates.  The pendant was at concept stage when it captured our attention at the Salone Satellite exhibition at Milan Design Fair in 2005.

We began collaborating with Zinke /Carpenter as part of our ISM Sparks mentoring program, which was formed in 2005 to foster emerging talent in lighting design. Based on this we   licenced the Iro pendant design and began manufacturing in Australia, exclusively for Sparks.

Crafted from slip cast ceramic with an elegant, tactile finish, the Iro pendant features a single slot at the top to ensure the direction of light remains set in the desired direction until repositioned.

8bit 360 by Architects EAT

8bit 360, located on Little Collins Street, is the third and largest outlet of the Melbourne-based burger brand. Inspired by American diners, old-school video games and the local fish ‘n’ shop, 8bit 360 is a contemporary throwback to the colourful 1980s, and our Wink Table Lamp and HD3 Wall Lights are adding to the nostalgic fun.

 The first 8bit started as an ode to the fish ‘n’ chip shop with arcade machines in the corner. The classic games still remain but the outlets have become streamlined and slicker with time. For 8bit 360, Architects EAT created a playful and interactive space with bold primary colours, pixelated patterns and Nintendo-inspired wall graphics.

 Architects EAT created pockets of intrigue and surprise as they played with colour and materiality. Tiles, like pixels, cover countertops; stools and booths are in blue powder-coated steel; and green and yellow acrylic tubes hover over high tables. Timber elements keep the space warm and inviting, and include the timber-batten world map suspended from the bright yellow ceiling; timber panels surrounding the menu; and a timber batten screen with the logo carved it.

 Studio IO designed the original branding and established the red, yellow, dark blue and aqua colour palette, which the studio describes as “a nostalgic, quirky and instantly recognisable homage to good old-fashioned gaming.” Indeed, it’s nostalgia for the late-20s, early-30s demographic that form the target market.

Our Wink Table Lamp and HD3 Wall Lamps in marine were the perfect choice for the colour palette, and complement the simple, pared-back forms throughout the space. Wink table lamps are perched on the counter around the windows. Inspired by candle lamps of yesteryear, they have a spherical bulb, dish base and optional metallic reflector for more control of the glowing LED lamp.

HD3 has a similar form with a wall attachment. Fixed at alternating heights, the uplights cast patterns of light and shadow across the wall, adding another dimension to the gaming-inspired graphics. Each light has a 6W LED spherical frost lamps, a good choice for hospitality due to their long life, low energy use and high-quality light output.

Introducing Teamwork - Acoustic lighting for workplaces.

Our latest lighting collection has been developed to provide a solution for 2 common workplace needs - high quality energy efficient lighting and improved acoustics.

The Teamwork pendant has been designed to possesses special acoustic qualities to help it to absorb sound in the workplace making it the perfect pendant for meeting spaces and open plan offices. The effect of this sound absorbing feature is that the lighting contributes to enhancing both concentration and collaboration in the workplace by reducing ambient noise.

The Teamwork pendant shell is expertly crafted from spun aluminium and has a decorative fabric panel that discretely conceals an internal sound absorbing material.

The outer shell is finished in matt anthracite or white.  The fabric insert panel is available in a choice of 22 contemporary colours, with custom fabrics available on request.   At the heart of Teamwork is an environmentally efficient LED lamp source with a special thin diffuser to ensure light is fully dispersed. This makes it an ideal light source for long meeting tables that require an even distribution of light to enhance workplace collaboration.

Teamwork is also flexible enough to suit individual needs. It can direct light in a downward direction only but is also available with the option of up and down lighting, with both options compatible with a choice of popular dimming protocols.