8885007

530086

SATHU RESIDENCES, BANGKOKSANDY ISLAND, SINGAPORE | RIVERSHORES, FREMANTLE

MARINELLA, HONG KONG | ST MARY, KUALA LUMPURST MORITZ PENTHOUSES, JAKARTA

SAIGON GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

PHILIPPE STARCK KITCHENSGAETANO PESCE DESIGNS | DE MAJO LIGHTING FOCUS FIREPLACES | ANDY CAO LANDSCAPING

February - May 2012

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Age-old glAss mAking techniques form

contemporAry light fixtures

lightplay

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by Dionne Bel

DE MAJO ILLUMINAZIONE

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de Majo Illuminazione uses ages-old, traditional glass techniques to create contemporary light fixtures

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FLOOr LAMps thAt LOOk LIkE JAggED crystALs AND A scONcE rEsEMbLINg swIss chEEsE DO NOt sOUND LIkE thE prODUcts OF A cOMpANy thAt hAs bEEN ArOUND FOr MOrE thAN 60 yEArs. yet, de Majo Illuminazione, known for its traditional Venetian chandeliers and age-old glass making techniques, seems to have found a firm footing in the highly competitive field of contemporary lighting.

Drawing on collaborations with talented designers and architects, de Majo has produced a cutting edge collection of unique light fixtures that could very well serve as art objects, whether placed in minimalist living spaces or extravagantly furnished rooms. For example, prominent designer Denis

santachiara’s Zabriskie for de Majo looks like a small metal egg within a large exploding glass egg shell, using points of light to emphasise the eruption. the glass also serves to diffuse light.

these interactions with avant-garde artists encourage experimentation, not just with design but also with technology and materials. carlo Nason’s angular Bilbao floor lamp in polished mirrored aluminium and matt black lacquered metal, for example, looks like a jagged crystalline formation rising from the ground. Or Luca Ferretto’s suspended wall lamp Chèrie, made of looped transparent borosilicate glass rings which can be extended to as long as 10 metres if one so wishes.

Like the Chèrie, de Majo’s light fixtures can be customised to satisfy

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OPPOSITE PAGE

Linked glass rings form the Chèrie, customisable in length and width

The colours and shapes of The Four Elements represent fire, air, water and earth

BELOW Industrial designer Nicola Grandesso collaborated with de Majo in designing the Babol lamp

individual specifications. One can choose from varying models, sizes and colours, or create a unique, exclusive project for a home, restaurant or hotel. tailor-made designs span from simple pieces to challenging projects. the special projects Department walks customers through each stage, starting from an on-site visit and design development by the company’s in-house creative team to production, installation and after-sales service.

de Majo’s bespoke projects include a 72-metre-long chandelier that runs the length of the ceiling of an indoor swimming pool in kuwait, a fixture with hanging purple and green bulbs that look like grapes in an Italian restaurant in kuwait, and a modernist, cosmic-inspired chandelier for a theatre in budapest. private houses from Europe to the caribbean also

enjoy customised de Majo lighting.but no matter how modernist some

of its creations may be, the source of de Majo’s expert manipulation of glass shapes and colours lies in techniques that have been tried and trusted through generations. Founded in 1947 at the end of wwII by guido de Majo, the company has a 3,000 sq m workshop on Murano — the Venetian island known for centuries as the centre of glass making — with 20 master craftsmen carrying out the traditional art. It is said that Murano glass, though much imitated, is a one-of-a-kind product that no other country has been able to replicate. Methods and techniques have been handed down for centuries on the island. with master glass blowers (a rare breed even in Murano nowadays, and nearly non-existent elsewhere), a furnace that reaches temperatures >>

interactions with avant-garde artists encourage experimentation, not just with design

but also with technology and materials

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de majo's bespoke projects include a 72-metre-long chandelier that

runs the length of an indoor swimming

pool in kuwait

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The sculpture-like Bilbao lamp also works well as a design object

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murano glass, though much

imitated, is a one-of-a-kind product that

no other country has been able to

replicate>> of up to 1,400 degrees celsius and a designer’s eye, de Majo is able to bring creative concepts to life. Many of these are best applied in its modernist chandeliers, such as The Four Elements, which comprises four different pieces symbolising earth, water, air and fire. the pieces use glass and gold leaf, and come with colours such as amber, green, aquamarine, light violet and red.

chairman Lucio de Majo notes: “I believe in the all-Italian ability to offer a product which satisfies expectations without sacrificing style and design, creativity and talent. Our lighting products aren’t lamps just made in Italy, but ideas created by Italians for an Italian lifestyle.” And yet, there’s no denying that the creations from the little island of Murano have captured an appreciative clientele beyond Italy, all around the world.

The Perlage comes in different lengths and may also be hung from the ceiling

LEFT Venedig Pom Pon is a contemporary take on the traditional chandelier

RIGHT The dramatic Zabriskie mimics the explosion of an egg shell