The Reflections of a Cityscape – flow(t) by Nao Tamura for Wonderglass

I’ve talked many times in the past about the importance of designers working in collaboration with craftsmen. Let’s face it, if you’re a maker you often take a different standpoint to that of an industrial designer, so when I see collaborations like this it really inspires me to think about the possibilities of linking up those with the skills and those with an eye for design and functionality.

A project that touches on this is a series designed for Wonderglass by Japanese designer Nao Tamura. This particular series of lights are a set of contemporary chandeliers inspired the colours of the Venetian lagoon, an enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea in northern Italy. Nao purposely used the reflections on the surface of the water as inspiration, going with the concept of “dual worlds”, hinting at an imaginary city moving beneath the surface.

Nao herself is a talented designer who’s able to mix conceptual and functional design in the same portfolio. I also like the fact that there’s a natural element at the heart of all her design, one of her series represents leaves, and another for Artek is an Aalto seat with the grain of a wooden log imposed on the seat. Here I’ve placed a few photos from the series, but I recommend bookmarking both websites below as they’re sure to be working on some great projects in the future. Enjoy.

naotamura.com wonder-glass.com