Inspired by the Pantheon

Ring-shaped lights Polaron series by TRILUX lets there be light

“Minimalist forms and maximalist effect” was sieger design’s leitmotif when the agency developed the Polaron ring-shaped lights, which were launched in 2006. The company’s ambitious goal was to liberate light’s immaterial lightness from the shackles of form. And the source of inspiration for this lighting effect was a well-known architectural wonder: the Pantheon in Rome.

Since the dawn of the 20th century, we have known that light is made up of photons. The materiality or, to be more precise, the duality of light, in both waves and particles, has since been plaguing physicists, however architects and designers regard it as ethereal, incorporeal and immaterial. And with good reason – as the Polaron series by TRILUX demonstrates. The focus is on neither the light nor the form; nothing but a dark circle is visible, one that appears to float against a light-coloured backdrop.

sieger design was tasked with developing a ring-shaped light for T5 fluorescent tubes. The designers’ quest for inspiration struck gold when they happened upon a building that is almost a perfect circle: the Pantheon. Up until the Renaissance, its dome was the world’s largest – today, the space beneath it continues to be illuminated by nothing more than the oculus, the circular aperture at its apex that measures about nine metres in diameter. In a fantastical spectacle, light bursts through it; the artistic illumination in this Roman temple incarnates an eternal truth in a most impressive way: designing light is akin to designing architecture. The new lights are inspired by this topic and bathe a room in almost nothing but indirect light – that is why Pantheon became their working title. The opaque, ring-shaped cover was therefore an integral part of the design process. Light was to be guided into a room by nothing more than a reflector located behind the fluorescent tube. The challenge was then to determine the appropriate size to luminous efficacy ratio.

Once it had developed the basic form, sieger design developed a multitude of models: Polaron pendant lights with colourful lampshades, showcase lighting – and even a light that can be built into a side table. Production kicked off with three models, which were premiered at Light+Building in April 2006. These included ceiling and wall-mounted installations where the lights could be seen in all their glory on the mounting plate. Light radiates from a wall-mounted, ring-shaped aureole. Semi-recessed lighting is where the base unit of a light fitting is embedded in a wall and light appears to touch the surface. Polaron can also be flush-mounted into the ceiling or a recessed housing, which also works as a reflector and boosts the appeal of the light fixture.

TRILUX uses Polaron to make good on the brand’s long-standing promise to deliver consistently high quality. The light fixtures are impressive on account of their ease of use – they’re quick to install and lamps can be replaced in a flash. Polaron was also instrumental in repositioning TRILUX as a key lighting producer in the design segment. In 2007, it received the red dot design award.

• Design | Circles of light
• Design | Healthy light

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