Marcello Ziliani for Turri

Reeds and Tubular Bells, the two collections of lightings designed by Marcello Ziliani for Turri and shown at the Salone del Mobile 2022, confirm the value of Turri’s Made in Italy ethos and represent the direction toward contemporary experimentation undertaken by Turri in recent years.

Quality of materials and physical appearance motivate the design, combined with a commitment to circularity, sustainability and lighting quality. These considerations are central to all of Marcello Ziliani’s design projects, as well as to his academic work.

Zilian’s study focused on recyclability and low-impact production characteristics and was made possible by the valuable expertise of the Turri company. Adopting standard LED light sources, which can be replaced easily once they reach the end of their life, is a must. LED light sources are unlike integrated light sources, which cannot be easily replaced.

Reeds, the suspended lighting system, was inspired by a view of water seen from below the surface, from which elegant river reeds emerge. The three thin, circular lines of the design symbolise ripples, perhaps left behind by happy amphibians diving in the body of water. These three rings of different diameters support ten aluminium or acid-etched glass tubes, fitted in correspondence with the light sources thanks to lateral slits. The choice of glass or metal allows you to have a more concentrated light solution or, alternatively, a softer and more diffused light. The arrangement of the rings also offers two variations: in line or grouped.

The other system of lighting, also suspended, is Tubular Bells, inspired by Mike Oldfield’s progressive 70’s album of the same name. Here, images and sounds shape the light: the profile recalls the iconic sacristy bell, with its long and elegant handle, and the fascinating sequences of Tibetan bells lined up in rows of three. A horizontal rod supports the lighting bodies, whose light is diffused upwards, at the apex of the handle, as well as downwards.

Made entirely of metal (aluminium and steel), Tubular Bells combines the infinite recyclability of these materials with the use of standard connection LED light sources.

«The request to try to design lighting with a view that could interpret elements of elegance and richness in a super contemporary dimension involved a long phase of analysis and research, which then led to an extremely thorough design process», says Marcello Ziliani of the collaboration with Turri.

Today, sustainability means more than low-impact in production, distribution, recycling and circularity. The focus now is, above all, durability. Sustainability has become increasingly synonymous with the extensive research and thoughtful design processes necessary to minimise eventual obsolescence and to maximise the life cycle of products.