The magical lighting of the outdoors thanks to Kabuki

22 August 2023

Illuminating summer evenings without disturbing their magical and special atmosphere is an operation that requires care and attention. It is not just a matter of bringing light into a space to make it usable but also of indulging the suggestion of the evening by choosing lighting that fits in in a fluid and delicate way. The quality of the light must be sufficient to make the outdoor space comfortable but must not disturb its natural balance. It is a different approach from that reserved for interior spaces where artificial light dialogues with walls and borders. Outdoor lighting must adapt to the sky and the stars, green vegetation, and open spaces. In this context, the choice of lamps can follow two directions: the first is to focus on essentiality and prefer lights with a minimal design that almost disappear in the scenario so as not to disturb it. The second is to experiment with bolder and more characterizing forms, inserting lamps in the outdoor space that stand out and that at the same time integrate into the landscape, becoming one with it.

Kabuki, the lamp designed by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell in 2016, also belongs to this second family. The original version was intended for indoor spaces but in a process of natural evolution, Kabuki has also become a lamp for the outdoors. It not infrequently happens that an indoor lamp is then also declined for the exterior but this step is not always as full of meaning as in the case of Kabuki. It is a floor light in which the designer plays with the classic shape of a vintage lamp and revolutionizes it by giving fullness to the volumes and above all by choosing a contemporary material and production process. In fact, the lamp is made of injection-molded thermoplastic technopolymer, a production process that allows to obtain the laced surface that characterizes this lamp.

Kabuki is a sculpture that enchants the eye, it has a tall and articulated presence, but it doesn’t loom. This is why, in the indoor version, it gracefully characterizes the space in which it is inserted, making the combination with other materials and colors fluid. What happens in the transition from inside to outside? Kabuki also naturally approaches the typical elements of outdoor spaces: that embroidered effect built on empty and full spaces almost seems to reproduce the vision of leaves against the sky. The light passes through the small empty spaces creating dynamic and magical reflections that make the atmosphere of summer evenings even more suggestive.

Its contemporary appearance that evokes a classic style at the same time, makes it suitable for different contexts of space and furnishings: from the garden to the terrace, from a corner of luxuriant vegetation to a sophisticated English lawn. Even in its outdoor version, Kabuki retains the surprise effect of a lamp that knows how to combine poetics, technology, and functionality. Kabuki illuminates the space making it usable and comfortable thus fulfilling the functions required of a lamp. But, unlike most outdoor lamps, Kabuki also contributes significantly to making the scenario more interesting and sophisticated. It does so in a delicate and poetic way, thanks to the design idea of Laviani who, once again, manages to enhance the technical skills of working with plastic materials that characterize all Kartell production.

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