The Italian lighting designer Davide Groppi is known for his particular sleight of hand – a preternatural ability to produce dramatic lighting effects by way of the most aesthetically minimal light fixtures. The latest addition to his eponymous brand’s Spatial Concept line – the Meridiana wall lamp – is exemplary. 

Visually, Meridiana consists simply of two metal arms – measuring two metres and two-and-a-half metres – that extend from their point of intersection like the hands of a giant invisible clock. But, as with Groppi’s entire oeuvre, there is more to the fixture than meets the eye.

Behind the magic of Meridiana is a patented innovation called Endless – a power strip that, when adhered to the wall, replaces the cable wiring of old with a digital solution. It can be installed wherever an electrical current is needed. In Meridiana, Endless is affixed beneath the longer arm of the fixture to power the LED strip integrated into the shorter one. The result is a diffuse ambient glow emanating from a strong, graphic statement. 

As Groppi characterizes it, Meridiana is an exercise in combining light, shadow and time.

AZ Awards category Design: Lighting Fixtures Project Meridiana Designer Davide Groppi, Piacenza, Italy Manufacturer Davide Groppi, Piacenza, Italy