Modular Boxes of Light
Remember his crazy cubic chandeliers? Here he is again – Robert at the peak of his student career, creating something at once simple but with infinite potential. Control switches sometimes give users the ability to adjust light levels, a step up from the classic on-or-off switch to be sure, but these simple-looking, box-shaped pendant lights take things to another level entirely.
Each of the six sides to each cube is independently flexible, hooked together via a series of suspension wires that lets the user control their angle in three dimensions.
The resulting possibilities for illuminating a room become essentially endless, as one can bend, twist and tweak each side to create interesting lighting effects or effective light channels for functional use.
The culminating thesis work of design student Robert Hoff, these boxes are deceptive in their simplicity – one might be tempted to say ‘well, anyone could have designed that’ but if you are a designer you know from experience: making something simple is often much more challenging than making it complex.
“Light and shadow combine into modular light. What characterises the light objects, which are made of sheet metal, is their play with the surrounding room. Depending on light beam and angles, the light objects change the room and invite the user to shape it. In the initial position the light appears to be trapped within its geometrical cladding. However, turning and tilting the surfaces breaks the light space open, and releases it into freedom. Where previously sharp lines forced their way past the edges, smooth light surfaces now flood the room.Depending on the light beam one can discover ever new structures and shadings. It’s a minimalistic yet fascinating interplay of the movable metal surfaces, which the user can give the element light a shape with. The boundary between product and sculpture dissolves.”
