Oasis of Light
LUMINO's Italian partner, Qu Lighting have created a unique indoor/outdoor lighting showcase installation in Milan.
Overture - An idea of light is an installation realised in a magnificent historical residence with private garden in the Brera district of Milan. The concept, designed by architect Aldo Parisotto (Parisotto + Formenton Architetti) in collaboration with lighting designer Fulvio Baldeschi (Light Company), stems from the desire to express a contemporary idea of light by orchestrating the visitor’s experience between outdoor and indoor, in a dimension of connection and wonder.

There are five Qu Lighting products in the exterior space. The Brillo lights simulate the presence of fireflies: by day they disappear and at night they start to pulsate like small pixels of light in order to remind the behavior of these insects. Then there are the Collebrezza: technical fixtures that illuminate the horizontal surfaces and create a delicate blade of light on the gravel floor. The third lamp is the Magritte, whose shape emulates a mushroom; it works flush with the grassy tissue and besides camouflaging with it, this lamp also has the function of emitting a vapor of light from the bottom. Lastly, we have the Rocchetto projectors in the Paletto and Tree versions: the first produce drops of light on the ground, in order to mark the path and guide the visitor; the second, placed on the trees, aims to illuminate the foliage and to project the shadows to the ground.

Architect Aldo Parisotto said,
"Nature, the absolute protagonist of this installation, dialogues harmoniously with soft seats and lighting fixtures characterised by a material and evocative design. The romantic Milanese residence, enriched by the presence of a glasshouse lit like a magic lantern, serves as backdrop to this organic concert of glows and shadow play that gently project onto it."

He goes on to explain,
"Linking this project to a musical composition is an interesting comparison. When we attend a performance and listen to the overture, we immediately receive our first emotion. A very similar thing happens when we enter this magical setting, hidden in the heart of Milan, and we realize that the exhibition is a real concert of lights and sounds that guides us to discovery of space.

"Thanks to the help of lighting designer Fulvio Baldeschi from Light Company, we managed to create light scenarios telling various episodes during the night, like theatrical sets. The low level lights are activated first and reveal the blooms and vegetation on the ground; the intermediate ones work instead as delicate pointing luminaires; lastly, the floodlights camouflaged on the trees generate a mysterious light that intercepts foliage and branches, catching their movements. The atmosphere is therefore natural and dynamic, enhanced by a graphic game of glows and shadow play that projects on the ground and on the facade of the residence.

Entering the residence, visitors first come across the discovery room and the meditation room obtained in the greenhouse; the first one is used for the exposure of the product, while the second is conceived as a kind of contemplation space.
"Once the visitor has crossed the outdoor path and experienced the concert of lights and sounds, they enter the first room inside the residence; here they can discover the Qu Lighting technology and appreciate the quality of the products. We exposed them as if they were in a museum to enhance their components. In addition to the Arcipelago collection, among the exhibits there are Ed Pole: a led floor lamp with a thin vertical pole perfect for museums and residential spaces; and Dress Me S: a suspension lamp with a spot light beam conceived to illuminate a surface or an object. The final act of the indoor path is the passage through the meditation room in the glasshouse.
"This transparent and contemplative space, defined by the presence of a central table and the light emitted by the exposed luminaires (the retractable pop up lamp Secret Light and the flexible recessed bar Ondaled), allows the visitor to enjoy the garden view from a different perspective.