Custom Luminaire · 2023 · Internal Study
Custom Luminaire for a
Boutique Hotel
in Portugal
Deep in an ancient cork oak forest in Portugal — a converted monastery reimagined as a modern boutique hotel. To bring the defining landscape into the interior, we designed a sculptural luminaire in cork.
As an internal study we set ourselves the task of designing a bespoke luminaire for a boutique hotel in Portugal. The hotel occupies the stone walls of an old monastery — fully restored and furnished with a highly individual interior. The luminaire was to complement this character and at the same time reference the surrounding landscape.
Our approach was a unique luminaire design that clearly references the surrounding landscape —
the ancient cork oak forest. Intensive material research revealed a decisive quality:
sliced into thin strips, cork can be worked into a textile — translucent, and when
backlit, radiating a uniquely warm character.
We developed the iconic form from a square base. Cork rolled at varying angles and
directions creates hollow volumes that house the light source. At 2 metres tall our
cork luminaire has a sculptural presence, floating as an object in space. The restrained
design gives the raw material an elegant, considered look.
