On a recent trip to the Ruhr district in Germany, where I lived with my family for 12 years before moving to the US, our friends introduced us to the Zeche Zollverein mining complex in Essen.

The visit to this magnificent example of industrial Bauhaus style was one of the highlights of our entire trip.

Zeche Zollverein was built between 1928 and 1932 and was adopted in 2001 as part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage as only one of ten modern architectural projects in the world.

A central courtyard is surrounded by massive cubic structures with the dramatically sculptural pit-head mechanism to one side and the boiler-house that houses the

I couldn’t stop taking photos!

The design museum was a treat! Everyday objects with outstanding design - from packaging material to vacuum cleaners and cars were on display in the powerful structures that had housed the coal mine.

Of course I looked for lighting. Which lamps and fixtures had been chosen for their outstanding design. Not a large selection, but I was pleased to see the Tolomeo Mega floor lamp by Artemide.

This oversized floor lamp designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina is a great addition to the Tolomeo family.

In 1989 the Tolomeo task lamp was given the Compasso d’Oro award for Italian industrial design. It was credited with having achieved the perfect marriage between design and engineering.

Since then, the Tolomeo’s award-winning design, engineering and performance features have been further refined in a complete series of models for table, floor, wall, track and suspension application.

The Tolomeo Mega has a fully-adjustable, articulated arm and body structure that allows you to direct the light where it is needed. The diffuser is available in a choice of sizes in parchment paper or in a palge grey. With its 150W incandescent bulb (G40) or halogen bulb (double envelope) it provides a generous amount of light.

www.red-dot.de

Cheers!

The Campari pendant light by Ingo Maurer has quickly become one of the most popular pendants on our web site as well as in our Santa Fe, NM showroom and it is easy to see why!

This unique pendant light is made of ten original Campari Soda bottles, individually detachable, surrounding a PAR lamp. The result is a charming pendant that not only provides a good, direct downlight, but sparkles with cheerfulness.

It was designed by Raffaele Celentano for Ingo Maurer in 2003.
True to Ingo Maurer’s tongue-in-cheek form the height of the Campari pendant is freely adjustable via a Campari crown cork.

On a recent trip to Germany I found the Campari used in several restaurants.

Please notice the unique cable lighting system used in this Pizzeria in Munich.

It is the YaYaHo system by Ingo Maurer

With a showroom with an eclectic mix of lighting fixtures as my source, I get to pick the lighting for my office, better yet, I get to redecorate as often as I want! (Daniel, my trusted electrician will attest to this with rolling eyes!)

I see my office as my lighting lab. Ok, that’s a good excuse and it sounds really professional, but the truth is that I LOVE good lighting fixtures and portable lamps, their looks, what they do for my room and my mood. I just can’t make up my mind and stick with one single desk lamp when there are so many great ones out there.

Talk about “pools of light”, “intimate focal points” - I have them!

And – just in case you are wondering: Yes, my office has walls covered in corrugated metal. It was easier to build than with sheetrock, easier for running conduit for my constant wiring changes – and I love the look!

The New Mexico sky provides a dramatic, ever-changing backdrop through my many small windows.

The Tizio desk lamp is of course a given choice for a contemporary desk.

Designed in 1972 by Munich-born designer Richard Sapper it has gained iconic status because of its unique design. It is in the permanent collection of MOMA.

The charm of the design is the fully adjustable, perfectly balanced arms that act as conductors, so no visible wires are necessary.