The designer Sebastian Herkner and Vibia’s CEO Pere Llonch introduce the company’s latest collection of linear lights, Kontur, now on the market.
Pere Llonch, CEO of Barcelona-based lighting brand Vibia, and designer Sebastian Herkner presented the concept of the Kontur two years ago in Milan and today, they gave an exclusive press preview on the collection which has officially entered the market.
This represents the very first collection Herkner designed for Vibia, and the story behind Kontur is interesting indeed.
Among several aspects to consider, the brief Herkner received also made important reference to a historical chandelier-type light outside the White House of the United States.
“In Washington DC, outside the White House, there’s a famous, historical light with a glass tube that’s surrounded by a decorative metal frame,” said Sebastian Herkner, discussing the brief.
It is a curious and beautiful inspirational piece.
As Vibia is based in Barcelona, where a statue of Christopher Columbus points out to sea, visually translating his historic journey toward the Indies, leading him to discover the Americas; it was as poetic a choice as can be expected by the company whose lighting solutions seem to pull viewers into a story.
Kontur transports viewers through time. Its linear breeding plays in time, with time and through time. The collection is a deconstruction of the above-mentioned historical chandelier-type light. It reveals elements of said light with an adaptation to our modern times. We might say it has a link to different times, different eras, and history will always impact our today and tomorrow.
Herkner and the in-house team at Vibia worked together to create a collection with a simple framework, hence why they refer to Kontur as “framing” light.
“Kontor is about the frame, the silhouette of something. It’s a very slim profile with different shapes to create different characters in the collection,” said Herkner.
The co-creation between Herkner and his team alongside the in-house team at Vibia ran smoothly and positively, despite the chaos of the previous year.
“I had the pleasure of visiting the old factory and the new one. We started the process at the old factory. They can be proud of what they achieved this past year,” said Herkner.
READ: “Edison’s bright idea lights up the White House” on the Washington Post for more information about the historical light at the White House.
