From vision to reality: the development of an unusual chandelier

400 square metres of luxury

Mayors Jewelers in Miami sought out our expertise for their renovation project, in no small part thanks to our adeptness in both design and production. They entrusted us with planning and realising, as faithfully as possible, the interior design visions of another company.

The boutique unites various areas and brands in a 400-square-metre space, 160 of which are the floor space of a well-known watchmaker, while the other 240 feature the jewellery of other notable brands such as Omega and Breitling. There are also so-called brand corners, which are independently designed, produced and realised by the respective brands.

Interdisciplinary expertise for innovative solutions

Bringing this unique chandelier to life was a truly exciting task. Based on renderings and specific material ideas, we developed an aesthetically and functionally convincing solution. The parameters: a fine, C-shaped structure made up of individual cloth sails which are stretched between two thin brass tubes and placed at different angles to simulate the movement of waves. The light sources are not integrated into the chandelier, but built into the ceiling.

As a product and industrial designer specialised in object design, it felt as though this assignment was made just for me. Project Manager Manuel Hartmann and I worked together on the development of this design feature. In order to meet the complex requirements, we brought in experts from different areas: metal manufacturer Inderbitzin AG, rope-making experts Kuert + Co AG and our furniture producers. Their knowledge of manufacturing and materials was essential for us to get from the first sketch to the final prototype during this iterative process.

Materials and technical solutions

Selecting the right material was crucial. The cloth – made of natural linen and shimmery metallic Lurex and supplied by the well-known Swiss manufacturer Christian Fischbacher – not only needed to meet aesthetic demands, but also location-specific fire safety regulations. It was treated with a special flame retardant called «NOVA» to guarantee compliance with the safety standards.

After experimenting with different prototypes, we figured out the best size and placement of the cloth sails. Sewing aluminium rods into the sails not only helped keep the sails taut: it also allowed us to insert them neatly into the brass tubes, hiding the joining of the two elements in the brass itself.

Transport and installation

We also needed to come up with a project-specific shipping solution to ensure the safe arrival of the chandelier. We installed a fixture in the packing create, allowing us to hang and secure each of the 105 sails and guarantee that the individual pieces would arrive at their destination in America in perfect condition. The on-site installation was carried out by our experienced installation partner Almopla (learn more about them in this post).

An opportunity to optimise

While were hard at work on the first chandelier, we were commissioned to plan and realise two more Mayors boutiques: a fantastic opportunity to further develop the chandelier concept. For the new versions, which were given a closed oval shape, we increased the number of sails from 106 to 166. We also replaced the shimmering fabric with a translucent Japanese paper. 

The Japanese paper has not only won us over for its aesthetic value, but for its practical qualities as well. The material’s rigidity prevents undesired wrinkling during installation and ensures that the sails retain their shape while hanging. The shipping process was another added benefit of this material: the 166 pieces could simply be stacked on one another in the packing crate, which significantly reduced our logistical effort. Finally, the material also complies with the strict fire safety regulations.

The original chandelier was successfully installed in September 2023. The two boutiques with the newer constructions are currently in progress. We can hardly wait to see the reworked versions hanging in the shops! And, of course, we’ll post the final results on Instagram and LinkedIn...