Cariboni Group presented the new urban lighting system, designed by Alfonso Femia, at the Fuorisalone at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan
The new urban lighting system, designed by architect, designer and urban planner Alfonso Femia, was presented by Cariboni Group last April at the Fuorisalone in the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology. Its innovative design contributed to the rewriting of cities, in an aesthetic, inclusive and sustainable way.
Light – in its essence – can become a tool for seeing, experiencing and exciting, as well as a wonderful element for enhancing urban spaces in terms of functionality and beauty. This is the goal with which SPOON, the new urban lighting system conceived by Alfonso Femia/AF*Design for Cariboni Group, the historic outdoor lighting company urban, road, architectural and functional. Presented during the week of the Fuorisalone, in the fascinating setting of the Sala delle Colonne of the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology, SPOON is the first system of integrated urban lighting products consistent with the rewriting of cities in an aesthetic, sustainable and inclusive way. The new line breaks the classic and traditional scheme that, for too long, has considered the outdoor lamp an object relegated to a hyper-technological dimension or filled with pseudo-classicisms. The new lighting system exhibited in the various dimensional and installation variants, was described by the architect Alfonso Femia and Dante Cariboni, CEO of Cariboni Group, who highlighted its innovative technical, optical and formal characteristics.
The fixtures of the historic company from Osnago, in Brianza (Italy), have illuminated the internal cloisters of the Museum, allowing them to enhance and reveal their shape even in the dark, to bring out the historical and artistic elements of the garden, such as the Seven Wise Men by Fausto Melotti, and the hidden architectures by Piero Portaluppi. In addition, at the entrance to the Sala delle Colonne the majestic model of the icosahedron designed by Leonardo da Vinci, a symbol of geometry, mathematics and perspective, welcomed guests with a play of shadows and geometries projected thanks to a site-specific light installation. Blue, purple and pink – chosen as the predominant chromatic shades for the entire evening – made it possible to temporarily transform the spaces and colours, creating an emotional scenario.
The protagonist of the evening was not only the light but also the music with the live performance of “The Beatbox and Carlo Massarini”, a show dedicated to the history and successes of the Beatles. The guests could discover or relive the incredible adventure of the Beatles – and how they changed the course of modern and contemporary music with their unforgettable songs – through the songs performed, the stories of Carlo Massarini, and the changes of scene, clothes and musical instruments.
SPOON contributes to urban design through impressive chromatic and material personality and an unprecedented choice of project, particularly for an outdoor system, as the volumes of the bodies have asymmetrical geometries. The challenge was to design a dynamic element applicable to the different scales, geometries and positions between the specific space and the overall environment. The design has been fine-tuned and differentiated in body size, fastening systems and luminous fluxes. The collaboration between the studio and the company has resulted in four urban lamps of different sizes applicable to high and sharp vertical rods on low cylindrical stems and walls or ceilings.
Each lamp connects to the support structure with a joint to have it tilted in continuous adjustment for precise pointing of the light emission. The system offers maximum comfort and efficiency for horizontal surfaces, paths and spaces, and vertical surfaces, facades, installations, and monuments. It can illuminate pedestrian areas, squares and widenings, parks, cycle and pedestrian paths, and urban and suburban driveways. Several optical distribution options are available for each lamp to meet different design needs, from urban and street lighting to architectural projection.
