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Design

2003 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This object is a paper template in the early stage of the design for the Midsummer light by Tord Boontje (1968-). The light is constructed from two layers of Tyvek©, a highly resistant synthetic form of paper. The layers are made in contrasting colours and are protected from the heat of the bulb by a plastic (Mylar) cone. The object is sold in a flat pack and requires self-assembly.

Midsummer was a variation of an earlier design called Garland, which was mass-produced for Habitat and was their best selling product of 2003. (The original and the mass-produced version are both in the V&A Metalwork collection). Boontje noticed that most paper lamps are glued in some way and both Garland and Midsummer are novel in that they simply hang off their protective cone without the need for glue, thus making self-assembly less tiresome.

Dutch-born Tord Boontje trained at the Design Academy in Eindhoven and at the Royal College of Art. Although he makes extensive use of the latest computer technologies, his designs often have a romantic, crafted quality. His work lends a delicate, ethereal character to industrial product design.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Printed paper
Brief description
Design for 'Midsummer', by Tord Boontje, 2003
Physical description
Sections of rectangular white paper stuck together with tape to form one large piece of paper, showing printed Computer Aided Design drawing of interlocking stylised flowers and leaves occasionally modified in red pen
Dimensions
  • Height: 840mm
  • Width: 1000mm
Style
Credit line
Given by the artist
Summary
This object is a paper template in the early stage of the design for the Midsummer light by Tord Boontje (1968-). The light is constructed from two layers of Tyvek©, a highly resistant synthetic form of paper. The layers are made in contrasting colours and are protected from the heat of the bulb by a plastic (Mylar) cone. The object is sold in a flat pack and requires self-assembly.

Midsummer was a variation of an earlier design called Garland, which was mass-produced for Habitat and was their best selling product of 2003. (The original and the mass-produced version are both in the V&A Metalwork collection). Boontje noticed that most paper lamps are glued in some way and both Garland and Midsummer are novel in that they simply hang off their protective cone without the need for glue, thus making self-assembly less tiresome.

Dutch-born Tord Boontje trained at the Design Academy in Eindhoven and at the Royal College of Art. Although he makes extensive use of the latest computer technologies, his designs often have a romantic, crafted quality. His work lends a delicate, ethereal character to industrial product design.
Collection
Accession number
E.596-2007

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Record createdJuly 14, 2009
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