Dezeen Magazine

David Rockwell designs minimalist lighting collection for Rich Brilliant Willing

New York 2016: American designer and architect David Rockwell has designed a collection of three simple lighting fixtures for New York company Rich Brilliant Willing.

The collection, which is Rich Brilliant Willing's first collaboration with an outside firm, was unveiled at this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York.

It includes two sconces and one chandelier – each of which are based on simple geometric forms.

New York design week 2016 product design: Lighting by David Rockwell for RBW (Rich Brilliant Willing)
Phase is a wall-mounted sconce that is based on a part of the lunar cycle when the moon is half-lit

The designer aimed to create minimalist sculpture-like lighting fixtures that could be used in a variety of settings.

"Each piece in the collection has a transformative quality," said Rockwell, who is the founder Rockwell Group. "Through variations in size, configurations, and light, each piece in the collection can solve any number of aesthetic and functional needs for residential, hospitality, and contract settings."

New York design week 2016 product design: Lighting by David Rockwell for RBW (Rich Brilliant Willing)
One half of the spherical sconce is coated in a chrome finish to create a diffused glow

Phase, a wall-mounted sconce made from glass, is based on a part of the lunar cycle when the moon is half-lit. While one half of the spherical sconce emits a bright light, the other half is coated in a chrome finish to create a diffused glow.

It can be installed with the exposed half facing upwards to create a bright uplight, or facing downwards for a spotlight effect.

New York design week 2016 product design: Lighting by David Rockwell for RBW (Rich Brilliant Willing)
Notch has a cube-shaped cut-out, allowing light to be cast from its core

A second wall-mounted fixture named Notch has a cube-shaped cut-out in its rectangular shade. This allows the light to be cast from the top, the bottom, and from its core.

The exterior of the brass lamp features a matte black finish, but its inside has been left bare, allowing the LEDs to reflect off the interior surfaces.

New York design week 2016 product design: Lighting by David Rockwell for RBW (Rich Brilliant Willing)
The Witt chandelier is made up of a spherical light encased within a hollow brass cube

A modular chandelier named Witt is made up of a spherical light encased within a hollow brass cube. They can be hung in a number of formations, allowing users to create a cluster or an arrangement of staggered heights.

The collection will be on show at this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) from 14 to 17 May, which is part of the broader NYCXDesign festival.

Other highlights from the fortnight-long festival include a series of lighting pendants with glass spheres that change colour once the light is turned on, and a showcase of Norway's established and up-and-coming talent.