Metal
Metals such as steel and alu­mi­nium – the most common mate­ri­als used for poles and lumi­na­ires in the urban lands­cape – are gene­rally pow­der­co­ated to pro­tect aga­inst cor­ro­sion. With a comp­re­hen­sive colour palette ava­ilable, users have every oppor­tu­nity to steer the design, from har­mo­ni­ous colour tones to high-cont­rast accents. This can be used in addi­tion with vari­ous ref­lec­tor colo­urs such as gold or as a block colour for the housing. The diver­sity of finis­hes inc­lu­des metal­lic sur­fa­ces in tones such as bronze, gold or rosé which are cre­ated thro­ugh a pro­cess of vapo­ri­sa­tion. These sur­fa­ces lend the pro­ducts a high-end look, and inte­ract per­fectly with their envi­ron­ment.

Conc­rete
It is still unu­sual to see conc­rete lumi­na­ires, even though it is the most com­monly used const­ruc­tion mate­rial in modern arc­hi­tec­ture. Conc­rete is somet­hing of a cha­me­leon: depen­ding on how it is pro­ces­sed, it can form either rough, or smooth cool sur­fa­ces, and it can be colo­ured­matc­hed to its sur­ro­un­dings. In its typi­cal mani­fes­ta­tion as slightly struc­tu­red expo­sed conc­rete, it is plain, simple, and radi­ates calm. Colour accents such as golden ref­lec­tors can be used to create a char­ming cont­rast with the cool of the conc­rete. From a prac­ti­cal pers­pec­tive, this is a robust, durable and rugged mate­rial. In the citys­cape, conc­rete ele­ments are viewed less as tech­no­logy and more as arc­hi­tec­ture – per­fect for a clear, iconic urban lands­cape.

Wood
Just as modern plan­ning con­cepts are again emb­ra­cing nature as an integ­ral ele­ment of urban space, wood is also expe­ri­en­cing a rena­is­sance. Its advan­ta­ges extend far beyond the func­ti­onal: wood aro­uses emo­ti­ons, it ema­na­tes a sense of warmth and natu­ral­ness, it is rela­xing, and at the same time cre­ates a vib­rant atmosp­here. Wood binds CO₂, pro­du­ces oxygen as it forms, and integ­ra­tes bea­uti­fully with its sur­ro­un­dings. As a mate­rial for lumi­na­ires and poles, wood is par­ti­cu­larly suitable for living spaces that are in har­mony with nature and that are desig­ned to make people feel good. To get the right tech­ni­cal pro­per­ties, care­ful choice of the wood type, its ori­gins and the right sur­face tre­at­ment are cru­cial. This pro­tects the wood from the impacts of weat­her, ensu­res a long lifes­pan, as it also affects the appe­arance: for example with glaze effects that ligh­ten or darken the natu­ral colour tone, or take it in a cooler or warmer direc­tion wit­hout mas­king the wood’s natu­ral grain and orga­nic cha­rac­ter.

Glass and poly­car­bo­nate
We use glass to pro­tect our ligh­ting units. Its high light trans­mit­tance makes glass – this amorp­ho­usly soli­di­fied mel­ting of mine­rals – not just a favo­urite const­ruc­tion mate­rial for arc­hi­tects; its good ref­rac­tion index means it is used as a func­ti­onal opti­cal mate­rial in ligh­ting tech­no­logy – think lenses, fil­ters or glass covers. Rese­arc­hers and engi­ne­ers have suc­cess­fully over­come its pro­ver­bial fra­gi­lity. Tem­pe­red glass ele­ments in lumi­na­ires can withs­tand the hig­hest of loads – and are easily recyc­lable at the end of the product’s life. As an alter­na­tive to glass, we use visu­ally iden­ti­cal trans­pa­rent plas­tics such as acry­lic glass (PMMA) or poly­car­bo­nate (PC). Their advan­tage is that they are ligh­ter, more robust and, as ther­mop­las­tics, they can be diecast to create comp­lex com­po­nents, which in lumi­na­ires can serve as both visual and struc­tu­ral ele­ments. This mul­ti­func­ti­ona­lity, coup­led with type-pure recyc­ling oppor­tu­ni­ties, ensu­res opti­mal use of valu­able reso­ur­ces.