Groove - design and inspiration

Groove is a collection of suspension lamps characterized by rigorous geometries, capable of imparting great personality to the space it illuminates. Its peculiar feature is its high versatility and flexibility in composition. Groove can, in fact, bring to life variable and personalized configurations; in the six-light version, thanks to an innovative mobile hooking system, it allows the metal rods on which the light points are mounted to slide, modifying their balance and arrangement.

With generous dimensions – up to one meter and thirty centimeters in length and sixty centimeters in height – Groove is designed to illuminate representative environments and convivial spaces, both in residential and contract settings. The famous phrase by architect and designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, “less is more,” perfectly encapsulates Groove’s spirit, drawing inspiration from the minimal style of the early 1960s. A mood that in those years pervaded art, architecture, literature, and music, proposing a simple, orderly, and rigorous lifestyle, detached from the chaos and frenzy of everyday life. Groove returns to elementary geometric structures, the rectangle and the sphere, and combines them in a new form that imparts a strong sense of stability.

Alberto Bovo, founder and CEO of the studio, tells us:

“Every time we face a new project, we find ourselves confronted with a duality: on one hand, the need to adhere to rigorous and conceptual principles, and on the other hand, the desire to express beauty, harmony, and pleasantness for the eyes of the beholder. This balance is never taken for granted; it’s a continuous dance between familiar and unexplored territories, between what we know and what surprises us. Groove represents this philosophy. It is not just a collection of lamps, but an interpretation of how light is essential to build a landscape in inhabited space that is as mutable and dynamic as nature, a changing balance of shadows and brightness that play and dance freely in space. This vision, this dual commitment to formal rigor and creative invention, is what guides all our projects.”

The concept

The original idea behind the concept is inherent in the name of the product itself: “Groove” is a dense word with multiple meanings, describing the project both literally and symbolically. On one hand, the word indicates the groove, the line on which light sources are embedded and flow, while on the other hand, it evokes rhythm, cadence, and dance in space. Groove encapsulates this apparent contradiction between fixity and movement, opposing the rigidity of defined geometries with the possibility of experimenting with different proportions and balances, concentrating or spacing out the light sources according to needs and the desired effect.

The project

The collection includes a large six-light chandelier and two simpler variations with two and one light, which can be positioned along a vertical or horizontal axis, depending on the requirements. The combination of these different elements gives rise to installations of great scenic impact that can transform over time: in its most significant version, it can be modified an indefinite number of times thanks to the innovative hooking system that allows the metal structures to be moved and slid into ever-new geometries. The light points, shielded by the glass diffuser, are instead fixedly available to ensure balance and adequate proportions in terms of layout. Overall, the Groove project stands out for its harmony, as regardless of its configuration, it maintains a consistent and visually pleasing rhythmic structure, as well as for its lightness, as it is composed of a linear and filamentous metal structure on which the glass spheres seem to simply balance, imparting a sensation of agile lightness. Its aesthetic is guided by a rigorous approach to design, conceived as a microarchitecture capable of creating a luminous landscape in becoming. In this construction, the rigidity of linear geometries is softened by smooth, edgeless curves, while the metal is softened by the opalescent roundness of blown glass. In the balance between fixity and dynamism, between fullness and emptiness, Groove illuminates the possibility of a space in continuous evolution, changing according to the needs and desires of those who inhabit it.

The materials

The lamps in the collection are composed of rectangular structures with rounded corners in brushed metal, finished in anthracite and bronze colors. The diffusers are mouth-blown glass in white color, available in both frosted and satin versions. Each piece is hand-finished.

Hangar Design Group

For forty years, the Studio has been accompanying brands on a growth journey through design projects and strategic development. Based in Milan and Venice, with a presence also in Asia and the United States, it is composed of over forty professionals who work flexibly and integratively in developing concepts tailored to the needs of clients. These professionals operate based on a solid multidisciplinary and strategic approach. Among its numerous international recognitions, the studio won the Compasso d’Oro in 2011.