Appareo receives the prestigious Red Dot Design Award

Our ambition has been to demonstrate what LEDs can achieve, without making a big deal about the technology itself. By working with a brand new material, we’ve been able to utilise the compact size of LED technology without compromising on the lighting comfort. 

The trick is simple: an innovative disc of acrylic plastic that functions both as reflector and louvre, and around the disc we have mounted LEDs that send light into the plastic. The result is glare-free, comfortable work and general lighting that is perfect for the office as well as rooms for special occasions. When the luminaire is turned on, the disc shines with a crisp, white light. 

"As a designer, you have to deal with the fact that the starting point for new products is often the same. When dealing with a traditional fluorescent luminaire you really have to “push the boat out” to create something new. With Appareo things were different. The criteria changed in a way which made things very simple. Conversely, the challenge was actually not to make it too simple. The initial sketches were very elemental and we knew we had to add something beyond the basic design shapes - the circle and extended rectangle. The final shape was inspired by the wings of birds, which are very light and strong, and extremely thin when viewed from the side. The small, slightly angled surface gives the luminaire a bigger body, making it more human." 

Gustav Müller Nord, Casper Asmussen and Jens O Johansson, Howl Designstudio