Depois de Waldemar Cordeiro: A Masterpiece of Light and Shadow

Alvaro Wolmer's Award-Winning Lamp Design Inspired by a Brazilian Art Legend

Wolmer's design, the Depois de Waldemar Cordeiro lamp, is a tribute to a floor lamp originally created by Cordeiro, a pioneer of concrete art and digital art in Latin America. The only known reference to Cordeiro's lamp is a small newspaper clipping from around 1955, but this was enough to inspire Wolmer and his team to recreate the lamp using contemporary materials and techniques.

The resulting design is a marvel of light and shade. From a single 4W LED source, the lamp creates a range of shades from dark gray to pure white, thanks to internal reflections and varying distances from the source to the white rings of the lamp. This striking effect is a testament to Wolmer's innovative approach to design and his ability to translate a historical artifact into a modern masterpiece.

The lamp was produced using computerized machines at Alvaro Wolmer Movelaria Fina Ltda, Wolmer's own woodworking and metal shop. The structure is made of solid aluminum, with an electrostatic paint finish for a sleek, modern look. The lamp measures 54 cm high by 30 cm in diameter and weighs 3 kg. It also comes with a luxury crate, which can double as a base for the lamp.

The design process, which took place in Sao Paulo between March 2017 and October 2018, was not without its challenges. Initially, architect and designer Andre Vainer attempted to reproduce the original lamp with two light sources, but the resulting light effect was not as striking as desired. Wolmer then took over the project, creating models to establish the exact proportions and experimenting with different light sources until he achieved the desired effect.

The Depois de Waldemar Cordeiro lamp is more than just a lighting fixture; it's a piece of art that pays homage to a pioneering artist and showcases the innovative design skills of Alvaro Wolmer and his team. It is no surprise that this design was awarded Silver in the A' Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Award in 2022, a prestigious accolade that recognizes outstanding design expertise and innovation.

All images of the lamp were taken by Ding Musa in October 2021, and the design is registered with the Instituto dos Arquitetos do Brasil, ensuring the protection of its intellectual property rights. With its unique design and innovative use of light, the Depois de Waldemar Cordeiro lamp is a shining example of the power of design to reinterpret the past and illuminate the future.