Welcome to the void

Lighting design solution for the installation “Welcome to the Void” at OfficeNext exhibition 2017

CLIENT
OFFICENEXT
ARCHITECT BUREAU
VOX ARCHITECTS
EQUIPMENT PRODUCERS
ARTEMIDE
PARTNER
TIMESCALE
2017

Project details

The installation "Welcome to the Void" was created as part of a special project at the annual OfficeNext exhibition, Trend Rooms, where participants shared their visions for the interiors of the near future. Its core idea was liberation from the self-contained dictates of design and the discovery of the value of pure space, emptiness.
"Welcome to the Void" is a manifesto for emptiness and freedom. The space is an unusual capsule for entering the void.

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LIGHTING
The architects constructed the installation as three stages of consciousness purification. Through a concrete portal symbolizing the materiality of the world, the visitor first enters a white space where they experience freedom, and then finds themselves in a boundless void. Presence within it is indicated only by pinpointed pulsating light sources.
The installation's visual appeal is created precisely by its multi-layered nature and the loss of boundaries at the end. The combination of glossy and matte surfaces in the black zone creates a dissolving effect.

As for the white zone—the focal point of the design—its image becomes an original combination of ambiguity and a response to specific needs. Referencing the infinity sign, the double chain of volumetric parallelepipeds can be interpreted both as a message sent into the void using a special code and as thoughtful spaces for comfortable leisure.

Light plays a significant role in the image and perception of the installation. It enlivens the minimalist space of white walls and draws attention thanks to thoughtful lighting solutions. Transparent pendant luminaries with a glowing ring around their edges, placed at different heights, seem to float in the air, within that very void. Placed against the black walls, they fill the volume of "emptiness" with meaning born of light, captivating the viewer.
The space comes alive and becomes a living organism thanks to dynamic colored lighting, transforming the light environment. RGB projectors in the white space paint it in different colors, altering the mood and perception. The installation's emotional lighting is complemented by functional lighting in the white portion of the space. Almost invisible recessed ceiling fixtures illuminate the central part of the installation, allowing not only comfortable movement, but also becoming a light accent of a complex black and white volume.

Light gradients, colored lighting, and differences in light saturation create depth in space and emphasize the multi-layered nature of the architectural composition.



AWARDS
The "Welcome to the Void" installation won the Best Office Awards 2017 in the "Design Idea" category.
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