Tradition and technology come together in Cho Light, a poetic light by Swiss designer Dimitri Bähler. A Washi paper shade meets a carbon structure in a design that is delicate and modest but at the same time considered and contemporary.
“The most important aspect of the Cho Light is the poetic element: The relationship between the natural material, the soft Washi paper, and the unnatural, artificial, material, the carbon, interests me very much,” says Bähler.
“The stand is so thin that from a distance you might think that it was suspended”
The carbon fibre elements are standardised, industrially produced components and for the reed-like stem of the light, Bähler has played up to the strength of the material by choosing the thinnest and longest section possible at just 6mm in diameter. The floor plate is minimal, while the shade and stand connect via clean magnetic elements, simply clicking into place without the need of screws and bolts.
Yet the shade that Bähler mounts onto this industrially-built structure has altogether different associations. “Washi paper is a traditional material for diffusing light and structure in construction, for the sliding doors and windows of traditional Japanese architecture, and for lamps too — although sadly this seems to be dying out,” explains the designer. Japanese Washi paper is gently smoothed, glued and secured by hand to fit the form. A high level of skill is needed to control the joined edges to achieve a minimal overlap and consistent width.
The Washi used in Cho Light is softly crumpled and delicate in appearance. Its physical softness is a fitting metaphor for the softness of the light it filters - the play between light and dark, illumination and shadow, and perceptions of space and form.
Cho Light is an atmospheric light, designed to illuminate but to also enhance mood and inspire sensitivity. “The stand is so thin that from a distance you might think that it was suspended,” says Bähler. “I like this idea that you don’t really see its support, you just see the simplest essence of a light.
The Washi used in Cho Light is softly crumpled and delicate in appearance. Its physical softness is a fitting metaphor for the softness of the light it filters - the play between light and dark, illumination and shadow, and perceptions of space and form.
Cho Light is an atmospheric light, designed to illuminate but to also enhance mood and inspire sensitivity. “The stand is so thin that from a distance you might think that it was suspended,” says Bähler. “I like this idea that you don’t really see its support, you just see the simplest essence of a light.
Shop the Cho Light here or enquire via info@simonjames.co.nz.
