Creating a Universal Design Language for Acoustical Solutions
The inter-connected world has long been the backbone of ingenuity and trends in the design industry. From the earliest history of design, craftsmen have been using techniques, themes and materials brought back from far off places. The internet and ability to easily travel across the globe has only strengthened the ways in which contemporary design is able to blend together aspects of different cultures into one.
Acoustical lighting collection, Blossom, is one such combination.
Italian Design
Designed by Italian Mario Alessiani and available through the Dutch design brand Bogaerts, the evolution of Blossom took into consideration the needs of a global market through the lens of two cultures with a history of wildly varying aesthetics and materials.
Philip Bogaerts explained that seeing the initial design for Blossom fit perfectly into the label’s mission to create positive environments through colors, materials, shapes, climates and sounds. Yet the heavy work came through narrating the product’s story for differing audiences. For one: Alessiani had called his original Blossom design “Bloemi.” Although coming from the Dutch word “bloem” that means “flower,” the pronunciation differences between Italian and Dutch lead the team to try to find an appropriate middle ground between the two.
Materials Used
Another difference that was made between Bloemi and Blossom was the use of materials. Originally, Bloemi had been made of a hexagonal wooden structure to which the medium-density fiberboard (MDF)-backed padded panels attached. Because of the dynamic shape and interest in the market for acoustical products, Bogaerts said that the original 30 centimeter design was made larger so that two sizes of the hanging pendant are now available, and wall panels were integrated into the collection. Instead of wood and MDF, the frames of the pendants are made up of metal.
Available through Good Spec in the U.S., Blossom is arranged so that the six padded petals overlap one atop the next. This arrangement creates an abstract flower shape that is inspired by irises with a soft glow emanating from the single bulb in the middle of the pendant.
While the design and narration came from a variety of regions, the increasing need for beautiful acoustic solutions is a global issue in design. While the pendant can be used in different commercial settings, it was created with the ever-expanding open office in mind.
