Hemera Desk Lamp

Ross Gardam
Australia

Just like the brutalist architecture from 60 years ago that it references, the Hemera Desk Lamp is powerful in its simplicity of form. The Hemera features two solid circular volumes that intersect with no overtly visible light source, creating a striking desktop monolith. The Hemera Desk Lamp was designed for Collection One of the debut New Volumes™ brand.

The project came as a unique opportunity to work with solid stone. Simplicity and balance were paramount with careful design consideration and a desire to do justice to the material. The goals for this project were to celebrate the beauty of natural materials, being true to manufacturing processes and the search for something new, unique and precious. Manufactured almost entirely from Elba marble, Hemera classically references traditional construction techniques with a contemporary approach and an attention to detail, allowing it a timeless lasting quality.

The most progressive element of the project was to make it appear as if the material emitted light naturally, or that the stone itself was illuminated. The top cone component was designed to act as a reflector and thus appear as the light source. The cone directs light out from the column to the underside of the shade, and in turn, down onto the table surface. The cone also allows the light to reflect up around it, illuminating the column, and creating a subtle halo when viewing the product from above. The other unique detail of the product is the way it is assembled, utilising the weight of the stone components to simply sit on top of each other with no fasteners or adhesives, continuing the materials flawless surface.

Photography: Haydn Cattach.