While the sleek brass of Holocene No. 2 serves as a nod to the classic oil lamp, its construction offers a more innovative, interactive take. Along the perimeter of its round base – where the lamp oil is stored – are two freely movable curved reflectors. Their matte brushed exteriors are contrasted by the inside surfaces, which are polished to a mirror finish. Once the off-centre wick is lit, fascinating reflections and counter-reflections are created. Both protected and enhanced by the brass reflectors, the flame’s light is allowed to play over its surroundings – an intriguing, infinitely variable dance between shadow and light.
David Chipperfield founded David Chipperfield Architects in 1985. He has developed a design methodology that is now used across five offices in London, Berlin, Milan, Shanghai and Santiago de Compostela. In addition to design work, David Chipperfield has taught and lectured worldwide. In 2012 he curated the 13th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale under the title Common Ground and he was the 2020 guest editor of Italian design magazine Domus. Among the accolades David Chipperfield has received are the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and a knighthood for services to architecture. In 2011 he received the RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture and in 2013 the Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Art Association. In 2021 David Chipperfield was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour and he was selected as the 2023 Laureate of The Pritzker Architecture Prize, in recognition of a lifetime’s work.
Inspiration
