Soft Architecture Lighting Unveiled in the U.S.

By Jessica Fiur, News Editor

New York—Flos, an Italian company that features innovative lighting products for residential and architectural uses, recently launched new soft architecture products for the first time in the United States and Canada. At a recent event in New York City, Jan Vingerhoets, CEO of Flos, U.S., showcased his latest line.

Flos’s new LED products use a composite material the company calls Under-Cover technology. The material is flame-resistant and built under eco-compatibility regulations.

“LED is at a point where it’s affordable, but still high end,” Vingerhoets said.

The soft architecture products in the Flos product line can be used in both commercial and residential settings. This line “unites light weight and high strength,” and can be integrated with normal plasterboard false ceilings. Additionally, the fixtures have “Cradle to Cradle” certification, which ensures that the products are sustainable and can be recycled.

The new products feature the Light Sniper, which is a ceiling light composed of metal halide, halogen and LED; the Wan Downlight and Spotlight, which is designed for direct lighting and is available as a suspension lamp or spotlight; the Compass Box, which can hold one, two, or four adjustable pressed-steel spotlights; the Kap, which is designed for recessed ceiling lighting; and the Pure Spot, which is a spotlight that is installed on a three-phase track.

At the Flos event, different “sets” were laid out to show how the products could be best utilized, including in a retail setting, an apartment lobby and a museum.

“Good lighting makes your product look better,” Vingerhoets said.

Flos plans to continue to innovate on lighting fixtures, but they were unwilling to provide any clues for their future designs.

“We don’t ask people what they want,” Vingerhoets said, “because then you don’t surprise them.”