The distinctive illuminated discs form a perfect archetypal figure of the sun
Taking cues from vintage style, Horo by MASIERO is a striking new lighting collection featuring glass discs and brushed brass
Nikaya is a designer and artist based in Berlin. With strong interests in materiality and the social dimensions of design, she is drawn to innovative projects which challenge existing processes and perceptions.
Italy
Design brand
Floor lamps
Pendant Lamps
Table Lamps
Wall Lamps
Luxury
Metal
Glass
The sun is an ancient and enduring source of inspiration. Tapping into this, the design for Horo took the depiction of the sun as a circle and related icons like the Sun god Ra as its starting point. The distinctive illuminated discs form a perfect archetypal representation of the sun and give this collection an eternal and graphic quality.
Horo is a versatile collection of lights which can be placed in numerous contexts, and showcase both metal and glass materiality. The range includes wall, table, floor and hanging lights.
The minds behind Horo – Pierre Gonalons and MASIERO
Horo is part of the Dimore Collection by MASIERO, and designed by Paris based interior designer Pierre Gonalons. In 2002 he graduated from École Camondo, which offers a five-year program in interior architecture and object design.
His eclectic and minimal furniture pieces and lighting designs are available through the firm he founded in 2003, Ascéte. He has also collaborated with companies including Lalique and Nina Ricci. Gonalons describes his designs as “graphic, poetic, full of meaning.”
MASIERO is a family company based in Casale sul Sile near Treviso in northern Italy. It was originally founded in 1981 but reinvented and positioned itself as a leading high-end lighting firm in 2009. Every product is created at the MASIERO headquarters in Italy.
It is a true artisan production line, which goes all the way from processing raw materials, to skilled craftsmen forging each component and adding decorative finishings, and finally to electrical assembly and shipping.
Styles from MASIERO range from classic Venetian glass chandeliers, to quirky or minimal contemporary interpretations of traditional shapes. One innovative product MASIERO offers is Drylight, a beautiful chandelier certified for outdoor use.
Materials & Techniques – Prismatic glass and brushed brass
MASIERO is committed to the use of high-quality materials and material innovation. Horo is no exception.
The main diffuser is a sandwich construction, which comprises two circles of prismatic glass held together by an outer brass metal frame. An LED strip is placed inside the frame and shines between the two layers of glass. The diameter of each diffuser is 30cm.
To increase the luminance, Horo also features a second light source. This sits within a smaller brushed brass circle perpendicular to the main form.
Style & Aesthetics – Contemporary with hints of vintage
The overall design is sleek and modern, whilst the finishes feel more vintage. Despite the very slim profile, Horo has a remarkably three-dimensional quality. Illuminated more brightly at the edges, the disc can appear almost globe-like.
The double light sources of Horo give it a unique look – a diffused glow as well as a soft directed light.
The glass itself is textured with a diamond pattern. This gives it a “vintage flavor that I like so much,” says Gonalons. The collection is available in various glass colors: transparent, green, powder pink, light blue and smoke.
Gonalons explains that the colors reflect a desire for a contemporary palette, yet also take inspiration from the 1950s Italian style.
A marble diffuser was originally envisaged
In the initial design for Horo, Gonalons pictured the diffuser made from marble. This is unsurprising, as marble features prominently and frequently in Gonalons’ portfolio and his work for Ascéte.
MASIERO explains that glass was chosen as an alternative, to make the light more accessible to a wider range of customers.
Design Memento – Work with your strengths
The design of Horo features two materials which are particularly important for MASIERO: glass and metal. The firm has extensive experience and a strong skill base in metalwork. Glass is an iconic material which is historically linked to nearby Venice and also widely sought after in lighting.
The material choices support and enrich the design concept.
The Writer’s Comment – Set to be a classic
Horo is a stunning collection that will sit equally well in domestic as well as commercial contexts. As a simple design that effectively balances the decorative with the functional, it could easily become a sought after classic fixture which interior designers readily incorporate into their projects.
