Charmée is a public bench and lighting unit concept inspired by tree tunnels where sunlight pours in through a roof of leaves.
:::::: Street lights are mostly meant to disappear in the urban landscape during the day. That generally means
:::::: simply slapping some brown or beige paint on it and hoping nobody notices them...
We wanted to create a lighting unit that would be equally appealing and useful in the daytime as at night. The result is a social installation that invites passers-by to pause and share a moment in the shade (day) or under a soft light (night). The wavy polycarbonate heads create a random pattern of caustic reflections that project onto people and nearby surfaces. These crystal-like refractors diffuse the light like sunlight on water and flood the bench with a soft glow under the warm cover of the gold finished arches. These branch-like arches can rock slightly making the light move slowly.
Charmée is the place for a moment of contemplation under a veil of living light.
A Collaboration with: Julie Coulombe, Claire Grillet & Veronique Illiesco
