Amsterdam

Project type

Chandelier

Material

Polycarbonate

Lighting designer: Francesco Cappuccio

The large windows' light reflecting into the canals are what impressed me as a lighting designer when I visited Amsterdam. Photos are essentially slices of time. We take them to freeze a moment, to keep a memory safe so we can examine it later.

Because of the northern latitude and the historic need to pull every ounce of sunlight into those narrow canal houses, the windows are massive. At night, they transform. They become giant, glowing lightboxes. The dark, rigid window frames silhouette against the warmth of the interiors, and it all reflects into the dark water of the canals.

I wanted to materialize that memory with the "Amsterdam" chandelier and create this diffuse glow using polycarbonate. The result is a soft ambient light made possible by the large, bold shape of the fixture, designed just like a window. It is not just a decorative light, but it performs beautifully as a highly functional, diffuse light source.

It is a slice of the Dutch capital translated into form.

Design is about crafting things that evoke feelings or leave a lasting impression in the heart and mind.