Time to shine at Light + Building

Architects and designers certainly don't need to be told about the huge role that light plays in influencing their designs, whether in relation to interiors or on building facades. They experience it first-hand every day, while exploring the possibilities offered by creative lighting control and its transformative effects during the course of their working lives.

But what are the lighting trends that are currently emerging? What new products and control tools are appearing on the market? Which designers are attracting attention with new ideas and concepts? If you are looking for answers to these and other similar questions, Light + Building in Frankfurt – the leading international trade fair for all these and related topics – will be the place to be this autumn.

Of course, as we know, the last few years have not been the most 'ordinary'. The last edition of Light + Building took place in 2018 and it was understandably cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year, too, it has also been decided to postpone the event from its usual March date to autumn – from 2 to 6 October – and this is of course a better option than not holding the event at all. And as far as the pandemic is concerned, there thankfully seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel.

All those industries that work with the various forms of lighting technology have a great interest in getting back to face-to-face contact. This is also confirmed by Johannes Möller, head of brand management at Light + Building: ‘Many discussions with exhibitors and associations have shown that the core of our business, the personal encounter, is here to stay. We have learned how to complement it in a meaningful way. Now we are looking ahead and doing everything we can to build the best possible bridge in the autumn so that we can welcome all the market players back to Frankfurt on the usual date in 2024.’

In addition to personal exchange, the fair will again offer visitors something that is of course quite obvious, but which we have perhaps forgotten in recent years, namely the importance of being able to see things up close in order to really understand and get a feel for them. And of course, Light + Building will once again assume its function as a trend barometer. And on this very point, the fair has already been busy and had the first forecasts drawn up by stilbüro bora.herke.palmisano.

Taking a closer look at some of the developments identified by the Frankfurt-based agency, a trend described using the catchwords 'sensuous + imaginative' has been identified. Here, design is strongly determined by the latest digital developments, which make many things possible that may previously have seemed unthinkable. Designers use renderings and visualisations from the world of gaming as models. These are used to create virtual furniture and luminaires that only go into production on demand.

This makes exciting lighting experiments possible, for example luminaire shapes with organic, amorphous silhouettes. Translucent and satin surfaces take the lighting experience into the diffuse and dematerialised, with the imagination given free rein. Another trend that is emerging is described with the term 'serious + unfeigned'.

Sustainability also plays a major role here, with designers using material innovations in the realisation of their holistically oriented designs. And scientific research on this topic is gaining momentum. As a result, the variety of materials that creatives can use for their concepts is growing – fruit fibres, for example, can be used to produce cellulose materials that are used in lampshades.

Flexibility is also on the increase. Luminaires that are not dependent on cables can bring light to wherever it is needed. The upcoming colour palette of warm earth and mineral tones is also determined by naturalness. A third trend identified by researchers from bora.herke.palmisano is called 'judicious + eminent'.

It stands for an elegant, moderate style – but with surprises! The basis here is a familiar, geometric language of forms. Subtle technical details provide the charm of the new. In rooms with high functional and aesthetic requirements, minimalist lighting objects come into their own thanks to new control options. The colour range is elegant with dark and strong nuances, and the blue component is striking.

All in all, then, we can look forward to the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre opening its doors to us again in October, where visitors can expect five days full of encounters and experiences, news and trends – and of course, lots of highlights.

@ Architonic