Bocci chandelier at Heal’s // #LDF13
Exploring the London Design Festival beyond the shows is where you see some of the incredible projects which happen without much fanfare and last for a long time thereafter.
Seeing the refurbishment of the Heal’s store on Tottenham Court Road was a great sight to see, especially with the spectacular upgrade to the Cecil Brewer staircase hidden away at the back of the store which winds its way up and down the building in a spiral with all the glory of the 1916 features.
Designed by Ambrose Heal’s cousin and friend, Cecil Brewer, the staircase was home to a fantastic cascading chandelier, perfectly formed to make show the motion of the stairwell and in the style of the time. Picture the tubular Bibendum Chair by Eileen Gray launching around the time that this staircase was completed and you can see exactly how this chandelier fit in with the times.
Fast forward 97 years and Canadian manufacturer Bocci was given the challenge to create a new chandelier to complement the five-storey stairwell’s restoration.
Designed by Omer Arbel, the 14 pendant is an ambient chandelier, made from high quality cast glass, with natural slight imperfections that play with the light and produce a unique light pattern. On it’s own, a single 14 pendant is visually subtle, but when multiplied becomes an eye-catching piece of hanging art.
Hold on to your hats though as a single pendant costs £295. With 65 of these hanging in the space, you can gaze in awe of the £19,175 pendant chandelier.
