Tord Boontje to present Swarovski Crystal Palace
Tord Boontje is set to launch a new collection of chandelier and crystal lighting components at London Design Festival this September, designed exclusively for Swarovski Crystal Palace. The collection marks Boontje’s 15th year of collaboration with Swarovski.
Luminous Reflections is a collection of three crystal lighting components (Arc, Swirl, Circle) and four lighting designs (Luminous Bough, Lustrous Aura, Shimmering Jewel, Radiant Light) released under the newly revived Swarovski Crystal Palace.
The three crystal components comprise fluid and unfaceted surfaces, the first of their kind to be launched by Swarovski, whose traditional expertise is precision-cutting. A new interpretation, the rippled surfaces are designed to produce soft and organic light effects, replicating the reflections of sunlight on water.
The crystal components were developed specifically for the interior lighting industry and will be available for designers to buy and use in their creations. With the chandeliers, Boontje showcases the capabilities of the components in designs that can be presented in many formations to create light spectacles.
Tord Boontje comments: “Having worked with Swarovski crystal for 15 years I understand how light and crystal work together – it can illuminate a room with bright sparkle or create dazzling glamour as jewellery. I have also gained an insight into possible innovations, what the future of crystal could be, and for the first time I have had the opportunity to change the shape of the lighting crystals. I wanted a soft light effect; the quality of light you see in a misty or snowy landscape or on a lake as dancing light reflections. For me these chandeliers really celebrate an organic quality of light that crystal can create.”
The chandeliers now feature lead-free Advanced Crystal components and the latest LEDs, making them more sustainable, while the shade and intensity of the light can be changed. The designs have also been refined with improved suspensions, including canopies and fixing points. More pieces from the Swarovski Crystal Palace archive are being revived, upgraded and prepared for launch in the coming months and years.
Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Executive Board, adds: “We are delighted to work once again with our long-time collaborator, Tord Boontje, on this incredible new collection for Swarovski Crystal Palace. Its elegant, organic curves bring a fresh interpretation to the interplay of crystal and light.”
Swarovski Crystal Palace began in 2002 as an experimental platform to enable design luminaries to explore the boundaries of lighting design through the emotive medium of cut crystal. The project has featured collaborations with more than 60 designers over 15 years, including Zaha Hadid, Yves Behar, Tom Dixon, Ross Lovegrove, Arik Levy, Tokujin Yoshioka, Ron Arad and Gaetano Pesce.
The relaunched Swarovski Crystal Palace collections comprise 17 pieces by five designers, including Fredrikson Stallard, Tord Boontje, Yves Behar, Vincent Van Duysen and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
