A light that imitates the sun

Two LED points sit on a rotating motor and project light through a convex lens. The motor moves slowly, and the patch on the wall rises and falls at a pace that recalls the sun, so the room gets a sense of sunset and sunrise.

From the hour after sunrise and before sunset, when the sun is low relative to the horizon and the sky turns gold. I wanted to translate that moment into a light, using the principles of natural light.

At the press of a button the light stops moving and stays in place, with the patch on the wall looking exactly the way you want.

1.2 metres high, with a 17 cm diameter base. The head turns 360 degrees, so the light can be aimed at any wall.

A 3D-printed body, wooden rings and a wooden disc, a convex lens, LED modules and a motor. The workshop photos show all the parts before assembly.

Because light that changes through the day changes how a space feels. Most lighting at home is fixed, and the idea here was to bring back into the room something of the sun's movement, even at the hours when it isn't there.

The approach is the same for every light: start from the experience you want to create in the space, and only then choose a mechanism, a material and a size. That is also how we worked on the chandeliers at Chez Vivie and the floating presence in the Rubinstein lobby.

Yes. We start by defining what the light needs to do and where, move on to a prototype, and finish with a light ready for production and installation.