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Louis Poulsen Shares the Design Process Behind Øivind Slaatto’s Patera Silver

05.14.19 | By
Louis Poulsen Shares the Design Process Behind Øivind Slaatto’s Patera Silver

Originally launched by Louis Poulsen in 2015, the Patera pendant by Øivind Slaatto is a glowing white fixture that offers a modern approach to a classic chandelier. Four years later, the Danish brand has released the hand-assembled fixture in silver made from a new silver foil material. The Patera Silver takes it up a notch thanks to its reflective material, turned on or not, becoming a luxe statement piece in any room it’s hung in – from residential to commercial. In this month’s Deconstruction coinciding with its Spring launch, we asked Louis Poulsen to share the design process behind the Patera Silver pendant.

Danish Designer Øivind Slaatto draws inspiration from the Fibonacci sequence: a fascinating mathematical concept widespread in nature, from the shell of a snail to the scales of a pineapple.

Taking the Fibonacci sequence a step further, Slaatto’s goal was to create a three-dimensional Sudoku.

Slaatto experiments with different materials in order to bring the computer image to a three-dimensional form. He is a very tactile designer and works with the various forms in his own hands to manipulate the series of cells to capture light.

The small diamond-shaped cells are installed to reflect and diffuse the direct light source from viewing angles above 45 degrees.

It was important for the lamp to remain glare free and a design that shapes light for which Louis Poulsen has been known from the beginning of their design history with Poul Henningsen. The light is partially diffused through the frame while the downward light remains direct.

The Patera’s form is visually engaging, similar to watching the weaving process above.

The complex design of each lamp is handcrafted in Louis Poulsen’s Denmark factory.

Finally, the lightweight structure is examined, and a screen technology is used to adhere a silver foil.

Like all of Slaatto’s designs, the Patera Silver was conceived as a timeless addition to interiors, transcending trends with its universal, organic form. “I try to design for generations, not for trends,” Slaatto says. Just as we never tire of gazing up at the night sky, it is hard to imagine losing interest in the ever-changing patterns of shapes and light that define the Patera. A single Patera Silver creates a luminous focal point. A series of them – staggered or aligned, in one size or all three – replicates the sense of awe we feel when we catch sight of the sun or moon. Bringing that experience indoors is nothing short of magical.

While it is rooted in classic Danish design principles, the Patera Silver is international in its profile, taking a step away from minimalism toward festive brilliance. The lamp shines even when it is not lit, playfully picking up on rays of natural light and remaining in perpetual interaction with its surroundings.

The lamp is available in three sizes.

Watch designer Øivind Slaatto talk more about Patera and his idea behind it:

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.