Trend Gallery Light + Building 2004

red dot online Presents the Trends of the Light+Building 2004 in Frankfurt

The most recent developments and trends for lighting, electrical engineering and building automation were exhibited April 18-22, 2004 in Frankfurt. About 2,000 exhibitors from 46 countries presented their products.

As an independent cultural event within the framework of the trade show and under the title "Luminale", a special focus was light architecture, which demonstrates the results of the synergy between designers, dealers and scientists.

Here, Elmar Schüller defines the trends 2004 for you:

- At the center of interest is not necessarily the source of light but light itself: the shape of the rays, the interaction between light and shadow, the special projection of the cones of light – all of these elements together with the space form a big picture. Light thus becomes a design tool, a part of architecture.

- The concept of placing the light source into the background is carried to the extreme when it basically disappears entirely. Where the light comes from is unimportant: the light source becomes almost invisible, and what is left is light and space.

- The opposite extreme can also be found in Frankfurt: the lamp as the centerpiece of a space, almost designed as an art object. In its perfected form it becomes a sculpture that attracts all the looks.

- Some lamps have a high recognition value, and some models appear in a new perspective: the lamp has grown and has become a larger version of a familiar form. From dwarf to giant – the translation into oversized is a clear trend in Frankfurt: maximization.

- Another recognition effect is created by the reinterpretation of familiar forms. A detail is always changed, thus achieving a surprising effect. For example, the cube as a classic form – deprived of one corner – hangs on the wall instead of standing on a table. The play with the familiar and the new is an interesting element in the design of the lamps in 2004.

- Alongside the innovations, classics or lamps that promise to become classics are shown. We also present the predictions of what the classics of tomorrow might be right here. In addition, we offer interesting perspectives in an overview of new, innovative materials and the use of light in public spaces.

We have captured the atmosphere and impressions of the trade show in our trend galleries. The following trend galleries document the directions for the 2004 trends in light, technology and architecture:

Architectural Light

Sculptural Light

Light in Public Spaces

Maximization

Materials

Invisible Light

Reinterpretations

Classics