Ron Arad Crafts a Cone of Light for Lodes

Renowned designer Ron Arad has created his first-ever collection with lighting brand Lodes. Launching at this year’s Milan Design Week, the “Cono di Luce” sees a conical shade made from borosilicate class, with a light source placed through its top.

Inside the lamp, though, is where the real magic happens. Here, the designer has created a Printed Circuit Board, which lights up itself, but also offers a decoration inside the shade in the form of a graphic motif.

While appearing simple, this detail is the result of a 33-step process that involves several layers of fiberglass and copper to house the LED chip electric circuits. In order to bring the lights to life, a sheet of copper-laden fiberglass was employed, which is thin and flexible to allow for shaping.

“When you look at it you think you understand what you are looking at,” Ron Arad says. “There is a sheet locked in the glass cone and it is radiating light through the cone — which makes the sheet itself glow. Then the lines become more pronounced and it creates a moiré effect.”

While working alongside one another, both the designer and the brand pushed along each other’s processes to achieve something that is both forward-thinking while remaining timeless. “Sometimes you start with an idea and in the process, you lose something,” Aarad adds. “In this case, I don’t think we lost anything. If anything, we gained. I am very happy with the results as well as the interesting journey we had to arrive to this place.”

Cono di Luce launches at Milan Design Week, which is currently taking place across the city. Check out our pick of the must-see events and exhibitions also on show, in the Hypebeast Guide to Milan Design Week 2023.