With the optical and physical qualities of the crystal of Bohemia and Venetian hand blown glass in mind, artists Francisco Gomez Paz and Paolo Rizzatto designed for Luceplan the Hope chandelier. A period of extensive technological research preceded the final lighting source design; the multifaceted interpretation of the classic chandelier was made up of ultra light polycarbonate sheets, capable of reproducing the outstanding optical qualities of solid glass. Based in the principles of the Fresnel lenses, a molded polycarbonate leaf was developed and engineered, characterized by a glossy external surface and a textured internal surface treated with a series of concentric micro-prisms. The result was an extraordinary high quality plastic, referred to by the authors as “meta-crystal”, because of its capacity to capture and reflect light.

Holding and structuring the “meta-crystal” leafs are series of stems that are fixed to a light diatom-shaped structure. They enable leafs to be arranged in a way that ensures a good diffusion of the light. The Hope luminaire can be as big as 105 cms in diameter, but is easily assembled an transportable. It received the Red Dot Award and the Good Design Award in 2010, along with the Italian Premio Nazionale all’Innovazione 2011.