Description

The Lamp Post light is limited edition, handcrafted from earthquake salvaged kauri wood following the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes.

The late, Richard Simpson – Designer’s Inspiration

“In 2011, my adopted city was shaken apart. A series of powerful earthquakes and aftershocks tore apart the garden city and changed everyone’s lives forever. Icons that defined the city of Christchurch were raised to the ground taking away the visual way-pointers used for navigation.

As a designer, I wanted to create something by giving beauty back to materials salvaged from the city. Lamp Post came from seeing huge kauri beams taking from Santorini Bar in the old CBD and transforming them into art piece lamps. The intent was to create an object that would stand as a testament to the city, its cultural landmarks and the people who make this city wonderful.

The design intent was to preserve the history these beams hold within the scars, gouges and burn marks on each face. Rather that strip back to perfect timber I chose to allow these columns to tell their story of where they were located and what they saw. They are an intrinsic part of the history of our city.

Light is used as an up-light, reaching for the ceiling from a beautifully detailed recess in the top face. Light is also cast around the base offering a metaphor of lightness. It’s an object that is proud to be what it is, proud of where it has come from and also proud of the story it has to tell.

Lamp Post is a candle for Christchurch, a beacon of what the city was and what it will be, keeping the spirit of the garden city alive.

Illumination is provided by LED lights around the base and also the top allowing light to be cast to create a subtle and beautiful effect”.

(Richard Simpson, 1972 – 2019)

Handmade in Christchurch, New Zealand.