Australian lighting designer Luxxbox’s Jason Bird will launch a new acoustic light designed in collaboration with Italian lighting powerhouse Panzeri, at this year’s Salone del Mobile on Thursday 11 April.
The new acoustic pendant, ZigZag, is the culmination of a working relationship with Panzeri, sparked several years ago. “I have followed the success of Panzeri for many years and am inspired by their design aesthetic and product range. The opportunity to work with an Italian family company with a great tradition was especial appealing,” said Bird. “This is my first experience designing a lighting product for a European company. It’s a very exciting project and the collaborative process with Panzeri while absorbing their extraordinary knowledge has been fantastic”.
ZigZag is a sound-absorbing pendant, manufactured from recycled plastic, which reduces noise to improve the acoustic quality of open-plan spaces, such as offices. “I’ve been working in the acoustic lighting market for several years and identified that there was a need for a linear form in this product category,” said Bird. “I wanted a simple shape, refined and elegant but that could also maximise acoustic and lighting performance. ZigZag’s profile provides for an increased surface area that maximises the pendants acoustic performance. The angles also help in reducing the direct reflection of sound waves.”
ZigZag will be officially launched at Panzeri’s stand at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. The collaboration came about through Panzeri’s desire to broaden their product range, turning to Bird’s expertise in innovative technologies and acoustic light engineering. In addition, the unique reference points in Bird’s Australian design practice add a point of difference to the product. “Australia has a certain lifestyle that influences our design thinking,” said Bird. “The colour and light, the beaches and expanse of the sky and all the natural beauty. These things influence our emotional approach to design. We are also a long way from anywhere and so we tend to design more in isolation compared with the rest of the world and Europe. This all enhances the uniqueness of the design.”
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