The Light + Building 2024 in Frankfurt has recently concluded, representing one of the most important and influential lighting fairs globally. Fairness Magazine sought to delve into the trends and challenges that this sector is poised to face in the coming years.
To this end, we interviewed Walter Valli, an architect and talented lighting designer of Italian origin, who has been based in Barcelona for over a decade now.
[Walter Valli hails from Rome and graduated in Architecture from the Faculty of Architecture La Sapienza, Rome. He spent two years studying at the Faculty of Architecture, RWTH Aachen University, Germany. In 2005, he moved to Barcelona to pursue a master’s degree in Ephemeral Architecture at Polytechnic University of Catalonia. During this time, while working in various architectural studios, he discovered the world of lighting design. Walter went on to work in renowned international lighting design studios, contributing to projects worldwide. His passion for interior design led him to pursue specialization courses at the University of Design of Milan in “New Entertainment Design” and “Bathroom Design”. In recent years, he has been deeply engaged in fostering the culture of light, sharing his expertise through lectures in the lighting design master’s program at Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Barcelona) and Elisava. With his own lighting design studio, he executes projects worldwide, collaborating with other designers to create captivating spaces and experiences.]
To learn more about the architect Walter Valli, visit the website ➡️ https://waltervalli.com/.
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What are the most interesting trends and novelties you discovered during the latest Light and Building fair?
I’ll start with a brief overview to provide context for the reader. This year’s Light & Building marked a return to the traditional format after the pandemic-induced hiatus. The presence of well-known and veteran manufacturers gave the fair a familiar atmosphere absent during the previous year’s edition. This event, the largest in Europe in the lighting sector, is renowned worldwide for both technical and decorative lighting, as well as for presenting accessories, components, and new technologies. Expectations were therefore high. The initial impression while exploring the booths was a search for significant innovations and surprises. Although there were no groundbreaking revolutions in the sector, optimizations and developments of existing lighting systems were highlighted. Mechanized and remotely controllable products adaptable to various space configurations, especially in the retail and hospitality sectors, were showcased. However, what struck positively was the emphasis on sustainability. Discussions revolved around waste reduction, strict control of consumption, and the creation of high-performing and compostable materials. There was a consistent focus on lighting oriented towards human, animal, and plant well-being, in respect of the surrounding environment. In conclusion, the fair confirmed its relevance, offering new perspectives and reaffirming the importance of sustainable and well-being-oriented lighting.
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What do you think is the future of lighting and how do you think technology can influence the sector?
Certainly, lighting will soon be integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI), not only concerning design but also for the management and maintenance of lighting devices and systems. In the near future, lighting will be able to adapt not only to our mood and situation but also to space usage, taking into account the passage of the day and responding to our momentary needs through the observation of our expressions, gestures, and listening to our verbal indications or commands given through smart devices. This evolution has been underway for some time but will be further streamlined thanks to AI. We may either embrace this idea positively or be concerned about the changes it brings. However, it is inevitable that even the most skeptical will adapt and accept, at least in part, this new technological revolution, including lighting.
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What challenges and opportunities do the latest technological developments present for lighting designers?
From my perspective, at the end of the fair, I leave with the feeling that lighting is already embarking on the path indicated in the previous answers. It actively engages in combating climate change, controlling energy consumption, radiation, light pollution, and promoting material recycling. New technologies integrate with lighting to promote our well-being while maintaining a firm respect for nature, including flora, fauna, and skies. Lighting fixtures are manufactured with increasingly smaller dimensions, using fewer materials and favoring recycled, recyclable, or compostable ones, without compromising lighting performance.
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What are the products/lamps that have inspired you the most and that you intend to include in your future lighting projects?
Certainly, lighting systems with extremely thin tracks, microprojectors, and metallic profiles or made with new materials integrating high-performance, low-energy-consuming LED strips. Regarding decorative lighting, I was impressed by lamps made with ecological materials, with sinuous and captivating shapes with innovative textures. These creations, the result of the fusion between human creativity and artificial intelligence to optimize the production process, have often used 3D printers for their realization. Moreover, I was fascinated by products from established companies in the sector, combining the work of designers with scientific research and in-depth studies on natural phenomena. These creations reflect a profound dialogue between art and science, offering innovative and high-quality solutions.
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For us lighting novices, can you provide a more concrete indication of a fixture or brand?
The XAL brand has introduced the IQ LUX brand, presenting a line of products made with organic and compostable materials, with sinuous shapes and captivating textures. Artemide has attracted attention with a product resulting from the collaboration between the architectural studio Miralles/Tagliabue and the astrophysicist Ersilia Vaudo, giving rise to the LUNE D’ACQUA lamp inspired by the icy water moons of Jupiter and Saturn. The CRIOSFERA series, also conceived for Artemide by architect and researcher Giulia Foscari, a scholar of Antarctica, evokes structures for drilling Antarctic glaciers, with the lighting body consisting of a stratification of blown and recycled glass with an optical core that evokes the stratification of polar ice. For technical lighting, Stucchi has presented a whole new series of thin tracks and related microfixtures, while the AERO brand has surprised with minimalist design and advanced technology, such as the ATL series of motorized lighting. OPPLED SDL has expanded the light spectrum of their fixtures to offer dynamic lighting based on HCL, faithfully reproducing sunlight during the day through a programmable system manageable via PC.
A special thanks to Architect Walter Valli for the content
https://light-building.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html
Ig – @fairness_mag
