Beneath the Surface Blog

Fascinating uses of light never cease to capture our attention. Whether light is being used in a cool, new way via budding technology, or simply using its inherent ambient qualities to enhance surroundings in an unexpected way, the possibilities of light are endless. That’s probably why we were so drawn to the work of Barry Underwood. The color and light of his landscape installations are breathtaking. Just one look at these eerie installations and you are immediately entranced by a captivating, dream-like world. Seeing our passion for color and light resonating in his installation, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to speak with Barry on his work. Graciously, he agreed to speak with us and provide further insight into his beautiful creations.

GPI Design: Barry, what inspires you first?

Barry Underwood: Ideas in art inspire me, and working with ideas imbedded in painting, installation, drawing, photography, and cinema. I am also inspired or rather influenced by science and nature and its energy.

GPI Design: Is it a particular landscape that inspires the lighting, or do you get an idea for the lighting itself to which you need to find the perfect landscape that captures your vision?

Barry: The process begins with drawing. I either have an idea first then look for a landscape, or I make artwork in response to a particular landscape. I then sketch out the idea. This gives me time to work through some of the media and logistical issues that may arise during the install. Composing or framing the shot is next. Then the installation process takes place.

GPI Design: On your website, you say that “Light and color alter the perception of space, while defamiliarizing common objects." Why do you think your work integrates so well on landscape and the outdoors? Do you think the same elusive and mystifying effect would translate onto interior environments?

Barry: In the photographs of the installations I am most interested in the ways in which the colored light does not integrate with the landscape. The sculptural light I introduce is very foreign in color palate to the subtle coloration of land, plant, sky and water. The concept is not exclusive to the landscape. I am currently working on a commissioned series of installations within interiors.

GPI Design: Most of your images use vivid colored light that evokes a sense of dreamlike imagination. Why do you think color is so central in creating this dream-like effect? Do you think white light could achieve a similar effect?

Barry: Color is intrinsically tied to our perception and psyche. It has a psychological effect on our bodies. Light (color) is the world in which we move around / through.

GPI Design: How do your techniques enforce the impression of the light as an externally applied, alien-like intervention rather than a revelation of inherent qualities?

Barry: I am not thinking about aliens or Hollywood ideas of aliens. I am thinking about ideas of abstraction, particularly contemporary abstract painting, and the abstract ideas carried out in 60s and 70s land art. Making a mark in the landscape rather than on a canvas. Light is merely a means to record color photographically.

Thank you to Barry Underwood for taking the time to elaborate on his work. Be sure to check out the rest of Barry's portfolio.  If you’re a fellow Clevelander, you can visit his exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland coming up on October 8, 2012.

Image credits: Barry Underwood

Japanese interior designer Noriyuki Otsuka describes his design for Le Ciel Bleu, a boutique retail space located in Osaka, Japan, as "a white space in brilliant colors".  The GPI team is excited to get in touch with Otsuka to learn more about his unique interpretation and approach to lighting design in this minimal retail environment. 

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gpidesign: In general, what does lighting mean to you as an interior designer？　

Otsuka: Light is not able to show its own existence but when it is reflected off something, then its presence becomes known. As an interior designer, I use this characteristic to design retail spaces.

gpidesign: How significant a role do you think lighting plays in defining a space such as Le Ciel Bleu?

Otsuka: This 278 square meter retail space has absolutely no wall dividers. Extends across the entire store from the windows. As a result, I got the idea to take the position, specs and color into consideration to create a certain impression with people who look into the shop from the windows.

I calculated the color temperature of the light in degrees Kelvin and arranged the lights so that the temperature of the light from the ceiling is 2800 K and the indirect lighting from the pendants in the cylinders (I call these ultra-pendants) and from the shoe area is 3200 K. Also, the neon lights installed inside the shop are 4200 K.

The differences in color temperature create shadows, and the design creates accents within the shop, which has few reflective materials.

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gpidesign: The large pendant in the cylinder cage-like structure largely determines the theme of this space. What is your design inspiration of this pendant?

Otsuka: Light emitting diode (LED) lamps are currently the mainstream light source in the world of lighting design. LEDs have shorter wavelengths and the light that they omit is directional.

They are a wonderful product depending on the use. Nonetheless, the filament lamps invented by Thomas Alva Edison 130 years ago have excellent color rendering properties and are a complete light source with a broader light direction. They are able to make products look beautiful in boutiques that sell primarily garments, and they are an indispensable product. For this design, I created an analog light performance in a delicate cylinder that includes meanings of both tribute and cynicism.

gpidesign: Why did you choose the linear shape over other spotlight options?

Otsuka: This cylinder, which I call the birdcage, is made of the thinnest possible structural elements and the smallest possible amount of materials based on structural calculations.

Also, the form enveloped in a 30 mm by 30 mm steel mesh was designed using minimal color. This delicate birdcage takes in the light from the ultra-pendant designed as a lamp that emits light 360 degrees around from the steel mesh and serves as a symbol of this 278 square meter retail space.

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gpidesign: What factors do you need to take into consideration to ensure sufficient light source in such a commercial space? And how do you cope with them?

Otsuka: The retail shop is located in a shopping mall with an attached pedestrian deck on the exterior. The lighting in the mall walkway is from 5000 K discharge lamps. The ambient light coming in from the windows has the effect of making the color temperature too white. In addition, sunlight (6500 K) that comes into shops from the pedestrian deck during the day gives the color temperature a blue cast. For a commercial space that is influenced by various color temperatures, I created a curtain that cannot be seen with the eye in the window area inside the store by raising the brightness by three times. By calculating the color temperature relationships between the objects, materials, and light in the space on the inside of the curtain, I create a kekkai in the Japanese spatial aesthetic and establish a kuukan where everyone looks beautiful.

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A sincere thanks to Noriyuki Otsuka for sharing his insight.  His design philosophy "nothing is everything  / mixtures of transparency" forces a strict attention to detail and subtle manipulation of holistic environments.  We admire the elegant boldness of Otsuka's philosophy and his work.

Image Credit: Noriyuki Otsuka 

You blink for a moment. As your eyelids lift to reveal the scenery again, you thought you just missed witnessing a flock of huge birds shining with light storm through the hotel lobby. Their tails left traces that were still sparkling in the thin air. But when you close and open your eyes again, they are still there.

That’s the dramatic illusion artist Ayala Serfaty created with her light design, Nana 200. The Nana 200 is part of her Jewel Collection, an arrangement of elegant and lyrical suspended kinetic mobiles intended for public spaces. The mobile structure allows the creation of variable composition of shades. The shades sway as if blown by a breeze and their movement creates a magical environment.

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The lamps are covered in textiles of various hues and illuminated with compact fluorescent light fixtures.

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The shape and free-style arrangement of Nana 200 set it apart from other mundane and motionless pendants.

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Apparently free from the grips of gravity, these lighting creations animate spaces with their fleeting expressions of permanent memories. How would you design an interior lobby space to adequately respond to and create a home for these unique creations?

Image Credit: Aqua Gallery, Planhomedesign

When we are developing custom lighting pieces for our clients, one essential question we always ponder is: what does lighting mean to the space?. Should it be functional, mood-setting, or decorative? Today, we have the Stuart Hill, the Creative Director of 44th Hill brand environments agency to talk about the design process for the lighting at the 52 North Soho project.

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The design brief for 52°North Bar & Kitchen was to create a 'home from home' at the heart of Soho in London. The relaxed atmosphere and touches of classic Eames furniture gives the feel of comfort and luxury. The walls have a feathered-like design of wood panels, the furniture is a mix of wooden chairs and lavish leather Chesterfields with soft lighting throughout. A feature wall of painted graphics dominates the stairwell wall capturing the style of 52°North Bar & Kitchen.

“Upon entering, from the front door to the bar area are 600 light bulbs overhead (as a runway of lights) which give the bar and restaurant the creativity and uniqueness that Soho deserves, giving 52°North Bar & Kitchen a distinct design feature which also enhances its ambience", the restaurant describes the atmosphere.

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gpidesign: The "runway of lights" is a brilliant idea. It leads people's focal point directly to the bar. What was your design inspiration?

Stuart Taylor: 'The bright lights of Las Vegas', making people feel special when the bright lights are shining. It draws you in from external views.

gpidesign: How was the strong axis of the “runway of lights” reinforced by the remainder of the space?

Stuart: I kept the rest of the space more minimal to make sure that the focal point was the runway.....all of the other elements were soft and comforting.

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gpidesign: How significant of a role does lighting play in creating the "home away from home" atmosphere for 52 North?

Stuart: The dimming capability of the lights allows the whole bar to create the required mood.....you can turn the lights down near to off, this really brings the comforting feel that we were after.

gpidesign: Often in design, lighting sources are concealed or disguised. In your application, the fixtures are stripped down and raw. There's no smoke and mirrors here - you see the socket and bulb immediately as part of the interior. How do you think this honest approach to the lighting affects the aesthetic of the space? Do you think its more difficult to design using this type of strategy?

Stuart: The mix was to create a contemporary space with some traditional, industrial aspects, the exposed batten fittings gave this feel, whilst adding a focus and a 'home' for the light bulbs, there was certainly no hiding 600 lights..., so I wanted to celebrate the fact and over express their application.

A special thank you to Stuart Taylor and 44th Hill! You can check out more of their immersive brand environments on their website: 44th Hill

Today we are looking one incredibly unique hotel ceiling. It’s a burst of bright colors, an underwater world over the top of your head, a focal point of the city at night, and even a salute to contemporary art.

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The Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom hotel in Vienna, Austria is designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. He invited Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist to create five backlit ceilings with custom art graphics at five areas of the building, which include the ceilings of the hotel entrance, the ground floor, and the top floor. Nouvel wanted Rist to introduce vivid colors to this minimal architecture remaining predominantly in shades of gray and black. The glazed façades on both the ground floor and the top floor are created as fine and transparent as possible so that the backlit ceilings become beacons from the outside.

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With an education background in Commercial Art and Visual Communications, Pipilotti Rist is a master of visual stimulation. Her exhibitions and video installations usually involve huge amount of bold bright colors and unconventional video shots. When asked the design inspiration for these hotel ceilings in an interview, Rist said she and her team decided on the themes of “gravity” and “the history of perspective” pretty naturally. Inspired by the Trompe-l'œil tradition, the five images for the ceilings show scenes viewed from below: from underwater over the banks of a pond, or up through tree branches away from the world towards the sky.

"Guests should feel welcome and inspired. If they come back to the hotel again, there’s plenty of detail to discover in the artworks. When they look at the ceiling, guests and staff should feel uplifted and grow taller", Rist explained.

The artful backlit ceiling makes the restaurant on the top floor a place where everyone would love to hang out or just to have a unique dining experience. We are absolutely blown away by the pure aesthetics of these artistic ceiling surfaces and their close interface with the architectural design. We feel so strongly drawn to this project because it is a manifestation of what we believe in, that creating a signature backlit piece is more than a lighting source; it can become the expression or icon of an entire building.  

Image Credits: Miss Viki Secrets, Dezeen, Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom

We are all geared up and working hard on preparing some new lighting prototypes, so this week we were especially inspired by these interesting pendants on Twitter. 

HANG JACK PENDANT LIGHT BY PHILIPP SCHÖPFER AND DANIEL KLAPSING  "A handmade polished brass pendant light that offers 16 outlets from above for different kinds of bulbs." tweet via @mocoloco

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" ‘Hangover_no.1′: a customizable aluminium pendant light by stockwerk3 " tweet via @architonic

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Furniture by Benjamin Hubert for De La Espada  "loving these marble pendant lights by benjamin hubert" tweet via @gpidesign

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"Etch Web Lamp by Tom Dixon: British designer Tom Dixon has created the Etch Web pendant lamp." tweet via @decornewsfeed

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LC SHUTTERS PENDANT LIGHT BY LOUISE CAMPBELL "Contemporary Design, Pendant Light by Louise Campbell | GBlog" tweet via @DesignModern

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TWeekly Archive is GPI Design's new blog column that updates every Friday to feature innovative and inspiring architecture, interior, and lighting designs that are shared through Twitter within the week. We always appreciate tweeps who constantly refresh our minds by sharing great articles, pictures, and videos. If you have something that you feel like sharing and want it featured on our blog, leave a link in the comment or simply @gpidesign on Twitter. We are always hungry for cool designs!

One of the best things about window-shopping is that you never know what you’ll run into around the next corner. Would it be a boutique store that has handmade artisan jewelry and abstract paintings, or a mainstream fashion brand with an ultra-modern window display (and sexy models)? I’m sure people who walk by Colette in Paris would all slow their steps, take a closer look inside this window, and be amazed by how lighting can transform an ordinary object into a piece of art.

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This unique lamp collection, “Ropes”, is the brainchild of Paris-based designer Christian Haas. The ropes are designed to create an innovative light source and distinctive design object by combining a tactile material and energy-efficient technology.  Each of the lamps is handmade with a silky textile cord wrapping around LEDs, emitting a warm glow.

Haas describes the design concept as “Unlit, the lamps provide a graphic statement to their environment. Lit, they diffuse a gentle ambient light.”

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This design pays homage to ropes that have been historically associated with lamps and lighting. In the days when people were using gasoline lamps, they would dip a rope in the gasoline and burn the rope in order to illuminate a space. With the development of LED technology, we can now actually put the light inside a rope (and surely the LEDs have a longer lifespan than a burning rope)!

We think rope material is a creative medium or container for lighting. When lit, it's unexpected, sure to stop some in their tracks or at least turn some heads.  If you are designing a signature lighting piece, how will you choose the right medium? What are the factors you need to consider? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Image Credit: haasdesign, designboom

The skylight designs in these four architectural spaces really caught our attention this week. Natural daylight is even and smooth, and it enhances the interior space. The best part is, it’s free!

Have you ever incorporated skylight systems in your projects? How did they enhance the architecture? We'd like to see the pictures! Leave a link below or @gpidesign on Twitter!  

"#interiordesign Städel Museum Updated with a Gorgeous Polka Dotted Green Roof in Frankfurt" tweet via @IDJournal

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"Villa Plus by Waldemarson Berglund Arkitekter #Architecture #Architettura" tweet via @Digi_Sign

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Dutch Mountain by Denieuwegeneratie "Villa that's buried amid a Dutch nature reserve. stunning surroundings for an ecologically sound home :0))" tweet via @DesignrockUK

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"Check out this great house located in Coachella Valley, CA: Four Eyes House by Edward Ogosta #Architecture" tweet via @BoughtonButler

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TWeekly Archive is GPI Design's new blog column that updates every Friday to feature innovative and inspiring architecture, interior, and lighting designs that are shared through Twitter within the week. We always appreciate tweeps who constantly refresh our minds by sharing great articles, pictures, and videos. If you have something that you feel like sharing and want it featured on our blog, leave a link in the comment or simply @gpidesign on Twitter. We are always hungry for cool designs!

We can never resist any creative and pretty designs associated with lighting, can we?

"Kitchen Design Think Tank: Kitchen Garden"tweet via @TheKitchenMogul

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"Lighting for my studio project. #lightingdesign #playus" tweet via @meyers_erin

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"Astonishing: Step into Infinity at Tate Modern London. #Design #Lighting #Art" tweet via @oxkon

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"Video: Amazing combination of cued architectural lighting at a stadium and amazing editing." tweet via @Jamesbedell

TWeekly Archive is GPI Design's new blog column that updates every Friday to feature innovative and inspiring architecture, interior, and lighting designs that are shared through Twitter within the week. We always appreciate tweeps who constantly refresh our minds by sharing great articles, pictures, and videos. If you have something that you feel like sharing and want it featured on our blog, leave a link in the comment or simply @gpidesign on Twitter. We are always hungry for cool designs!

TWeekly Archive is GPI Design's new blog column that updates every Friday to feature innovative and inspiring architecture, interior, and lighting designs that are shared through Twitter within the week. We always appreciate tweeps who constantly refresh our minds by sharing great articles, pictures, and videos. If you have something that you feel like sharing and want it featured on our blog, leave a link in the comment or simply @gpidesign on Twitter. We are always hungry for cool designs!

chieh ting huang: urban camper lighting objects tweet via @Lighting_Jedi

eL Masterpiece: Daniel Libeskind Designs Limited-Edition Chandelier for Zumtobel tweet via @VALOAdesign

Mind Blasting Lighting Show By Saks Fifth Avenue tweet via @Studio_EM

Americans Waking Up to Light Bulb Changeover tweet via @WilliamsSupply

Living Daylights: Remarkably Sophisticated Sun-Lit Home tweet via @dornobdesign