New models will be introduced into the DECO catalogue, with the full edition to be issued in September 2019: complete collections (with table and floor lamps, wall and ceiling lamps, and hanging lamps) each with its own distinct character, but all in line with current market trends. From a vintage style, with lots of the gorgeous brass tones currently dominating the décor world, to techno-lighting-style products using distinctive and stylish materials such as micro-lasered clear polycarbonate or special lenses.

And in addition to devices with traditional bulb sockets, which allow end users to add their own personal touch with our range of vintage and decorative bulbs, we also offer products with integrated LEDs for excellent lighting performance. Now allow us to present to you Terrazza Martini. You can discover the rest of the collection – iGloo, Karaoke, Crystal and Twin – at Euroluce!

Terrazza Martini designed by Chiaramonte Marin What better cocktail than a Martini with a tasty olive plunged into the cocktail glass? The plump olive inspired the shape of this luminaire, created by the designers Chiaramonte and Marin. Made of a smoked finish blown glass round diffuser with an internal LED soul in a milky white sandblasted glass cylinder. The internal diffuser encloses the LED boards fixed into an aluminium structure. Available as table and suspension lamp, with closing details in brass satin finish.

We mentioned our portable products for outdoor use, so that the light can follow us wherever we may go. So here is our idea of open-air lighting: the OUTDOOR collection. One of the most enjoyable parts, in addition to coming up with ideas for new models suitable for outdoor use, was giving them names with a summery feel. At last we can spend hours in the pleasant company of friends, or simply take some time to relax outside, lulled by the warm evening air, and leave the chill of winter far behind us.

Of course, nothing prevents us from using these same lamps anywhere inside the house, creating unexpected corners of light, thanks to the convenience of wireless devices, and they can also be extremely versatile in the catering field. The title of the brochure, “In & Out”, was not chosen at random! To give you a quick foretaste here, we will present Pic-Nic, while the other models – Siesta, Take Away and Take Away Sound – can all be found at our stand.

Pic-Nic LED table lamp (2700K), portable and rechargeable, perfect for terraces and gardens and why not for cheer up your pic-nic at the park. The wireless lamp following you wherever you go. Die-cast aluminium body with pretreatment finishing for outdoor (protection grade IP54). Touch switch, charges through a USB cable, 9 hours battery life. Available in three finishes (white, anthracite, corten) and two heights.

Finally, a peep at our contract collection: to pique your curiosity, we want to tell you about our blown-glass chandelier that can also be used in bespoke compositions (I’m sure you can imagine the potential for spectacular compositions). At Euroluce you can view it in two special finishes, but it will be ultimately available in the colours of your choice, as always, meeting interior designers’ demands for character, dimensions and customization.
All in all, this Euroluce will have so much to tell you about us. And the feeling, now more than ever, is that we have light in our blood, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Visiting the most important fairs in our sector, even when we are not part of them, is always useful. The Euroshop fair, now in its nineteenth edition, held once every three years, was celebrating its 50th birthday (it looks great). This fair attracts an international audience with a high percentage of decision makers of the retail industry, as well as architects, planners, designers and general contractors. With a total exhibition area of ​​127.000 square meters, in which more than 2.300 companies from over 60 nations exhibited their products, the exhibition areas were organized into categories, such as Shopfitting and store design, Pop Marketing, Expo & Event Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Food Tech & Energy Management, Retail Technology and, of course, lighting.

A pavilion and a half was devoted to lighting, a new formula from that of previous years, which saw the lighting sector scattered throughout the fair. Thus, this one was a much more comfortable and easier exhibition for visitors, who could focus their visit to the fair in their areas of interest.
If we talk about retail, the goal today is to provide stores with personality, real, live, customized and often unique shops. Stores often include art objects, preferring the use of natural and recycled materials and offer other products and services within the store itself, expanding its role and use. The visit to a shop must become primarily an experience: narration and emotion are included in the selection of solutions to be adopted, in the decision of the products to display or the concepts that a store (or brand) wants to convey. The light obviously contributes to this effect and to the primary purpose of stores: make people buy.

Talking about retail, we want to share with you two of the latest Plexiform projects: for Expert City in Cesano Maderno we decided to use “Trado“; for Sua Maestà Shoes, in Busca, we thought Futura – hanging version – was perfect to illuminate the products. You can find both projects in our gallery, after the Euroshop photo reportage.

The retail sector is growing and expanding in the furniture – lighting sector but, certainly, it was not spared from the crisis and, in particular, the e-commerce competition. One of the key topics of the event was certainly the meeting / clash with the technology. From the one hand, the means and devices that a store has to use to be always attractive and to win the competition of the online shop; on the other hand, the addition, right inside the store, of the technology through the digitization of the purchase process or digital light, for example.

We increasingly see the combination and connection between light and technology. From the one hand, light control system, such as the DALI system and the domotics; on the other hand, the internet of things which is now a reality that has become part of our lives.
How light can affect the purchasing process has been studied and analyzed by a department of the Zumtobel group, with a research entitled Limbic Lighting. The research, carried out in collaboration with a German clothing company that has analyzed the behavior of its customers at its stores, has led to the evidence that light can affect the purchasing process of a consumer. By creating different types of lighting in the showroom, they investigated what are the parameters of the light that have more effect, and which light scenes are more effective on an emotional level, depending on different types of customers. Among other things, it was found that even minimal changes of the scenarios, almost imperceptible, are enough to cause very different reactions in them. And, above all, they found that different types of customer are associated to different lighting projects. Thus, it is a light tailored to the customer or group of customers.

Another issue related to light and to its development in technology is the IoT, internet of things. That is the ability to adjust the lighting fixtures in consideration of external light. At different times of the day (and therefore different physical needs of people) different types of light are needed. They change the intensity or hue of color, preferring for example a shade of cold light in the morning or a softer and warmer light towards the afternoon / evening.
Studies conducted on the shades of light and the color rendering (reported with the CRI value, color rendering index, on the devices) are particularly important in the retail environment. Several companies presented very colorful stalls and stands, showing how sometimes even with the same machine you can create different lighting scenes, getting different effects on the merchandise. This is the case of the dynamic white, namely the ability to mix different diodes inside the LED (and, therefore, within the same device) and modulate power, thus obtaining hot or cold light depending on the requirement specification. Thus, we are talking about tailored light in all sectors for all times of the day and for all types of consumer. Could we call it liquid light?

That’s why we never miss the major trade fairs (here, the report of our visit to the recent Euroshop in Dusseldorf). This is also why we decided to NOT attend the the next (upcoming) edition of Euroluce 2017, as part of the Salone del Mobile. We are not superstitious: we do not skip the year because of its number (17). Nor do we believe that internationalization is only pursued in the events out of the Italian territory (a little healthy patriotism still prevents us to think so). It is simply a strategic choice that finds its whys in some numbers and the concept of glocalization.

Let’s start from glocalization. We are not going to hurl invective against globalization but a simple concept, namely the “zero km relationship” or glocal relationship. For the years 2016 – 2017, we decided to take part in the fair format Architect@work. We participated in the Vienna edition (October 12 and 13, 2016), Milan edition (November 23 and 24, 2016) and London edition (January 25 and 26, 2017). For the future, we are planning to go to Germany and, maybe, France.
A very simple fair format but, above all, winning and “local”. That’s why we liked it soon. The fair consists in encompassing the entire design world in two half-days of exhibition (afternoon until 8 p.m., to meet even the needs of the professionals of the industry). Exhibitors include brands from the construction sector (Furniture, paneling, fixtures, plumbing and heating material, and lighting fixtures, of course) respecting the shares per commodity sector. Visitors include professionals related to the design world (architects, interior designers, designers and installers). Stands have the same size and rules for everyone: in order to participate, the products on display must be assessed and approved by a technical committee, which guarantees the actual innovative nature.

The location of the fair consists in the possibility to weave one-to-one relationships with professionals who visit and often gravitate professionally in the city of reference, even if often the projects on which they work have an international scope (it’s especially the case of the London edition). That’s why it is a glocal fair in all respects!
Of course, for a company like ours, investments to be made must be weighted carefully. The stated and unavoidable goal remains that of internationalization. Instead, the way to pursue it has changed. Therefore, the strategic decision this year was to attend this fair format, to the detriment of other events that were increasingly international but larger and economically more challenging, as well as to invest in people who gravitate in the export world (recently, we hired a group export manager and a back office able to speak four European languages). Our goal for 2017 is opening markets that still know little about us, such as the German and French markets, with an ever-facing eye on the realities in the Middle East (Qatar above all) and the United Arab Emirates, with projects that often are conceived and developed in collaboration with design firms based in London, Milan or Germany. The UK market, meanwhile, is growing and developing from year to year with a nearly 40% weight on foreign sales and a growth in the last two years always in double figures. The 2017 goal is to reach 1.5 million turnover for the foreign segment and there are the conditions to reach it…

In short, ambitious goals, inspirational ideas, always fresh energy and dynamic organization. These are the key words of our international 2017!

The first bioluminescent plant, inspired by jellyfish and fireflies has been brought to life.
“Over time we have gradually removed ourselves from the natural world and repudiated the need for dependency on it. Science, which initially encouraged this separation process, is now proving that the consequences of this process can be harmful for us and for our biosphere. It is fundamental for our well-being that we recreate a connection with nature in all its sustainable aspects, bringing it to our cities and buildings in every way possible and at the same time increasing the sense of urbanity.”
(Peter Buchanan, Synchronizing with nature / DAmagazine, Autumn 2014).

If there is a designer who has brought this philosophy into his work, strongly believing in the value of light and the importance of illumination for our everyday life, it is Dean Roosegaarde.
He amazed everyone with his creation of a bicycle track illuminated with thousands of sparkling stones recalling Van Gough’s Starry Night, opened in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Roosegaarde’s homeland, for the “Van Gogh International Theme Year 2015”.
The concept that deeply inspires all his work is focused on the determination to conceive urban environments where nature and technology can coexist side by side thus creating a dimension where awareness and interaction are foremost.
Of course these themes bond perfectly with the ever increasing need for sustainable and ecological solutions in art, architecture and urban development (from a social aspect). From this point of view, technology is no longer just an automated tool but it is transformed from being a ‘means’ to becoming an ‘end’. The project roadmap is inverted so if previously ideas were perceived and then a way to materialize them was studied, now a new scenario is designed and inspired by the means that will make it possible. It is therefore necessary to invert the binomial civilization-environment. The stereotype of a city that grows on the margins of nature has become obsolete, reclaiming spaces and tackling the borders to create a concept of nature that undermines the material project.

This happens in an innovative dimension: nature is not only a source of ornamental inspiration (like in the Art Nouveau period for example), it bears systems, organisms and solutions which are biologically accessible. This is how biomimetics began, a type of study that observes scientific matter and tries to find a sustainable solution to the continuous challenges of innovation and development by copying models, forms and strategies that already exist in the world of nature.

It is in this area that Roosegaarde decided to go in depth into the study of the possibility of exploiting the natural ability of some animals, like jellyfish and fireflies, to produce light without any help from external electricity or ultraviolet light. The first result, brought about thanks to the close work with the designers in the New York State University and the research centre Bioglow Tech, has led to the creation of a bioluminescent plant. The effect is amazing, the stem and the leaves of the small plant, genetically modified by introducing the DNA of electroluminescent bacteria in the genome of a common plant, emit a faint luminescent glow. It goes without saying that further development of this project is destined to revolutionise the world of lighting design.

Glowing Nature Paint
There is also another project that the Dutch designer is developing called Glowing Nature Paint, it is evident that he is fascinated or even more so, obsessed with light in nature. This project refers to the creation of biological paint which when applied to the bark of a tree and its leaves, makes them luminescent. This biological paint which is harmless for the tree, charges during the day and then emits bioluminescent light during the night.

 -“Bioluminescent forest” work of Tarek Maward e  Friedrich van Schoor.-

He was inspired by a particular type of mushroom (for example Neonothopanus gardneri, one of the biggest and most luminous florescent mushrooms) that during the night glows to attract insects thus dispersing its spores effectively.
A part from these projects which can be more or less achievable, from this information we can see that there is a clear drive towards retrieving what is extraordinary in nature and applying it to well-being and sustainability, which is widespread among visionaries at the helm of urban planning. We all hope that we are far from the day when our plant will not be habitable but this is certainly the way forward for the realization of sensible projects and let’s not forget what Albert Einstein wrote: “Everything you can imagine, nature has already created.”

And if he said it…

Meanwhile, Antonia/Cristina keeps doing her job every day, calculating, tracking, organising and keeping everything under control. If that nametag was still around we would write on it; ‘Cristina, with a smile for everyone’.

Our company was founded in a small warehouse in 1929, Milan, with the name “Ditta Rossini Otello”. We started our activity by selling art objects made by the Venetian glassmakers. The Murano glass chandeliers made their first appearance in 1946 and since the 50’s, people realized that this market could grow, thanks to the constant availability of a range of products.
Today, we can define ourselves a modern and cutting-edge company, in terms of organization and technology, with a fully computerized warehouse.
The richness of our catalog as for models, types, colours and finishes, has always bene one of our strengths. Today, we manage about 5000 references and the range is always increasing.

Edition number 1 dates back to 1961 and, year after year, we reached edition number ZERO. Because from four sides and a dozen products, the offer has now become so broad as to be in two different catalogs. DECO edition and TECH edition.

Number ZERO: a new beginning, a revival, a new life. In fact, today we are taking a historic step.
 The choice is dictated by the need for almost daily updates, based on evolving technologies that our industry has met with the appearance and development of LED. To give customers a continuous adaptation to technological developments, to achieve the best performances of luminous efficiency and maximum energy efficiency, we decided to create two different issues that will have different developments.

Two different languages, two different ways of doing light, a single and common brand: Rossini Lighting. Now, we tell you about that in detail.

DECO: Furnish with light
The DECO catalog is divided into a proposal with a modern taste and a proposal with a classical taste. Lamps having more essential and minimal lines, materials such as glass, aluminium, fabric and polycarbonate; but also more refined and traditional chandeliers, enhanced by the use of glass blowing and the artistic works created by Venetian glassmakers. Independent chapters are dedicated to the lamps for the bathroom (where you can find mirrors as well), fans (different models, both classical and essential) and accessories (spare parts, lampshades and light bulbs).

This ornamental offer does not neglect LED technology: there are many devices with LED light source, which enable better light and energy efficiency as well as consumption reduction.

TECH: Technology in light
The TECH catalog is divided into 8 chapters, distinguishing between indoor and outdoor products. Indoor lighting includes indoor built-in devices (devices to be built-in, light cuts and solutions where lighting becomes an architectural element in drawing spaces and delimiting volumes), a section on wall-ceiling-suspended indoor equipment (products for multiple installations and with a technical taste and clean lines), profiles and systems (devices suitable for offices or business areas, thanks to their modularity and flexibility), tracks and projectors (for the retailing and exhibition world).

The outdoor offer is divided into built-in devices (for wall or floor, driveway or walkable areas, to signal walking or illuminate porches), wall products (for light effects on surfaces or to illuminate outdoor areas diffusely), ground products (poles for gardens and streetlamps for residences) and projectors (for a diffused lighting of facades or green areas). It is a wide range of LED products, updated according to the current quality standards and that aims at constant developments, in line with technological development and in compliance with environmental and industry regulations. The technical files of each product show all necessary data in a clear and intuitive way for a reasoned and aware choice of the device and its light source.

Certainly, the figures – and the time – will give us a clearer picture on the subject; and maybe, there will be some food for thought about the meaning of a specialist Fair in an increasingly digital world. But that’s another story, and we will tell you in the future.

If you face that, you know that the approach path is not easy. You have learned it personally after several years of experience. The path is steep, full of surprises, setbacks and difficulties. The approach period is long (the red date has been flashing on the calendar of your iPhone for months) and starts much before the first day of the fair but, at the same time, it seems very short, with the day of the debut approaching at gallop, and things yet to complete that seem to be one million.

You get to the day before the debut, when you are already at the stand. That lamp still seems to be hung crooked. The other one has not been assembled yet. There are no stools at the reception. Where did we put the USB pens we have to give customers tomorrow? Those bulbs do not fit that glass sphere. Did we really forget the biscuits we should give along with the coffee? The fair is all that. It’s light, it’s product. It’s about lamps, LEDs, but it is also about gadgets, sweets, vacuum-sealed Grana Padano cheese and salami packs coming from Italy (of course, you cannot show German food at a stand characterized by the made in Italy). The fair is composed of men, arms, hands that weave cables and hang wires.

The day before the beginning, everything seems to be in the weeds around your stand. Only late in the afternoon, they start laying the carpet in the common areas of the fair. You still see papers and cartons all around there. Then, as if by magic, the next day everything is shining. At 9 a.m., everything is clean and in order for the opening. The stand is perfect (and if there is still something wrong, you are probably the only one who knows). Your sales representatives are so quiet and smiling, ready to welcome prospects with a bright smile (despite they made efforts the day before and worked as much as you did). You are there, enjoying the show. Who cares if the red fingernails are already damaged and the hair set by the hairdresser is already floppy. It doesn’t matter if it is still 9 a.m. on the first day and you are already tired as if it were the last day. It doesn’t matter if something went wrong (is there anything going the right way??). All that – and much more – is the fair of light, is Light+Building 2016. And it was great to be part of it.

Currently, public lighting sector has such characteristics to enable the implementation of energy efficiency measures, aimed at achieving a substantial saving of electricity, with resulting benefits in economic and environmental terms. All regeneration and improvement measures have to be evaluated not only in terms of energy efficiency and cost, but also in terms of quality offered to citizens.

TECHNICAL NOTE

LED is an English acronym for “Light Emitting Diode”. LED devices can replace any traditional incandescent lamp, low consumption lamp, fluorescent lamp, etc. As for consumption, there are many differences between the different lamps. If we take into consideration a 100W incandescent lamp, a low consumption lamp having the same light power uses 22W, while a LED lamp uses between 6 and 8 W. As for their lifespan, incandescent lamps have a lifespan ranging from 1000 to 1500 hours, a low consumption lamp has a lifespan of about 5000 hours while a LED lump has a lifespan of 50000 hours.

Now at its seventeenth edition, the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair is an important – and unique– opportunity to see and talk (as long as you can understand what exhibitors say) about light with the main lighting producers who come mainly from China. Now, Mao country plays the lord and master even on our market, especially when it comes to components and electric parts, namely the so-called Light Emitting Diode, best known as LED!

The fair takes place at a wonderful nest-shaped building on the Victoria Harbour, a reclaimed area, torn from the sea, so that there is a stunning view on the Gulf overlooking the city and the reclamation works to increase the percentage of land are undergoing. The impression is to be in a city that is always subject to building works, a constantly moving city (literally, considering that the land torn from the sea increases every year), not only for the inhabitants of the island who seem to be constantly late to catch the train.

The LED plays the lord and master. However, there are no many innovations and surprises at this edition. A praise has to be given to our beloved made in Italy, since another confirmation comes just from this Chinese fair: the impression is that of a constant déjà-vu of the best products by the best Italian and European brands.

However, you can enjoy the light show especially outside the fair, in the city. This city grows vertically (having 7 million inhabitants in 1104 square km, it is one of the most densely populated areas in the world: due to the lack of space, a vertical development is the only solution). Skyscrapers are in succession along the Victoria Harbour and there is a wonderful view. You can enjoy the skyline from the other side of the sea, not from Hong Kong Island, but in the mainland of Kowloon, or you can enjoy its view even from Victoria Peak hill. They are two opposed but complementary shows.

Go to the Victoria Peak if you want to enjoy a rétro run on the Peak Tram (the first funicular in Asia, dating back to 1888), which is at odds with the modernity of the city. There, you will feel dizzy, enjoy a romantic view and a breeze that relieves from the great moist heat of the city.

Instead, you can reach Kowloon and the district of Tsim Sha Tsui by the Star Ferry (recalling the Staten Island Ferry in New York). After a walk on the sea front, do not miss the light show at 8 p.m.. Every evening, the skyscrapers come to life and, to the beat of music spread over the speakers along the pedestrian path, they light up and light crosses them, playing with reflections, colours, laser and special effects involving 47 buildings in the city. To the beat of LED, of course!