“The use of fire has led to the rapid evolution of human civilization.
People gather, pray, eat, and talk around it, as if a magnetic field has been built up since the ancient times.
I think that rethinking fire and rethinking light is synonymous with rethinking human life.”
The soft and warm color of 2000K, like a candle, is an essential element in the world view of hymn.
The flickering light is created by the movement of the pendulum lens, and the characteristic movement of the LED light when it is on and off is also a key point of the design. When the light is on, it shines strongly as if on fire, then the light intensity settles down, and after that, you can choose a stronger intensity if you like. When the light is turned off, it blinks out like a fire, playfully expressing the fun of interacting with light.
It is also IP66 waterproof, which means it can withstand strong water flow from all directions, so it can be used in the bathroom or outdoors. The dome-shaped glass shade is one of the most unique features of hymn, as it adopts a shape that cannot be achieved by ordinary fire.
Whilst researching the state of light in the modern age, an image of a church I visited in Florence, Italy, suddenly came to my mind. There was a semi-underground space directly underneath the chapel, and although it was dimly lit, I remember that there was a hint of daylight shining through the small window, and the atmosphere felt crisp and clear.
A grain of light was floating among that space, flickering, and wavering. It was a single candle flame.
As I trace back the vivid memories and ponder, there is no doubt that the existence of fire, which has been used by humans since ancient times, is closely connected to our lives even today.
People gather around fire to pray, eat, and talk by its light, and creates a warm scene of light that accompanies human life. I feel that these sceneries continue to create new emotions that move our hearts deeply.
“hymn” was presented in Milan, Italy, in 2019 as a prototype work based on the concept of the primitive light, fire. After another two years of development, it has been commercialized as a new ambient lighting by Ambientech in 2021.
Inherited from the original prototype design, the acrylic component is formed into a special shape based on the mechanism and optics of a lens. When light is projected from the bottom, the refraction effect causes light to appear at the top of the acrylic component. It is balanced by a delicate arm and rises, creating a fragile and irregular texture of transforming light under the analog but invisible force of magnets.
The overall design that supports the acrylic component is inspired by the traditional apparatus for lighting fire. For the design to settle into our living space, the geometric form of hymn is made up of soft lines and minimalistic yet cutting edge details, realized by Ambientec's technology. Tools that have emerged from the relationship between light and human life have provided hints to better understand fire itself.
The aim of this ambient lighting is not to reproduce or simulate fire in a realistic way.
It is about reinterpreting the existence of fire and sublimating its fundamental appeal into an experiential value that expands the concept of our daily lives.
My emotional memories are always accompanied by light. I hope that the light emitted by hymn will create a new emotional experience to the viewer, just like the candle I saw in Italy.
Special lens shape designed based on optics and experiments.
A handle supporting a pendulum lens inspired by a traditional candlestick for lighting a fire.
Inspired by the various devices that have emerged from the relationship between light and people, the overall image is composed of soft lines and edgy details that have been trimmed away.
When light is projected from the bottom, the effect of refraction causes light to emerge at the top of the acrylic part. The part is balanced by a delicate arm and rises up to create a delicate, irregular, and transforming texture of light under the invisible force of magnetic force.
The distinctive pendulum lens consists of a lens and a magnet to create a shimmering light.
(Patent pending)
Glass shades made by glass blowers.
Please watch the video to see the "fluctuation" of hymn.
hymn Black
Matte texture that blends easily into the space.
hymn Gold
Matte texture that blends easily into the space.
The luster makes the light stand out.
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Designer
Hiroto Yoshizoe
Graduate of Musashino Art University in Scenography, Display and Fashion Design, Hiroto is a spatial director and designer based in Tokyo, working on art direction and spatial designs for commercial spaces. As a spatial designer he specializes in customized artworks, blueprints of architectural materials, decorations for hotels, and restaurants. He also collaborates with a wide range of designers and artists to create space through varying approaches. Other than design, he also takes part in long term projects planning concepts and circulation for urban development and large-scale shopping malls. He has been involved in over 250 projects over the past eight years.
In recent years he has collaborated with manufacturers and fashion brands and has commenced presenting his individual design projects. Hiroto won Grand Prix of LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2017, and was also selected as one of emerging young designers “dwell24” by American design magazine dwell in 2018. In the past five years, he has shown his work in numerous countries such as Japan, Italy, America, and Brazil, and in 2020 he presented a large scale installation in Shanghai, China. Hiroto is also a part time lecturer at Kyoto University of the Arts.