Lucas Bittar's Vira Garden Collection: A Paradigm Shift in Outdoor Lighting

Concrete Garden Lights that Blend Aesthetics, Functionality, and Innovation

The Vira Garden Collection was inspired by the concept of a lamp as a strong, heavy sculpture in a garden, resembling a rock that emits light. This unusual situation of a hole in a mass shape emitting light, coupled with the paradigm shift in the way most outdoor lamps are made and installed, offers a unique design solution. Unlike traditional outdoor lamps that are designed to be hidden and made of light materials, these lamps are designed to be exposed, adding an artistic element to the garden space.

What sets the Vira Garden Collection apart is its technical and aesthetic qualities. The concrete luminaires feature an innovative concrete seal solution that has successfully passed IP66, IP67, and resistance tests to saline fog. This makes them not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly durable and suitable for various weather conditions.

The realization of the design involved a complex process of prototyping, with the production of pieces in concrete. The most complex inventive solutions were the bottom sealing system and the fixation of the glass directly on the concrete. These required a high level of complexity in the form and the production process of the piece, conferring innovation to the set and enabling the creation of the innovative concrete garden light projector.

The Vira Garden Collection includes the Petra garden projector, Cube garden projector, and Prisma garden spout, each with its unique dimensions and design. These design objects can be exhibited in the garden space, appearing between the architectural elements and the vegetation in the composition of the environments.

The project, which started in September 2017 in São Paulo, Brazil, and ended in September 2018, was exhibited at the Museu da Casa Brasileira at the 32nd Design Prize of 2018. The design process involved extensive research, including free modeling in clay to explore volumetric possibilities, and concrete research to develop a special form to solve the sealing system. The result is a collection of lamps that present high expressive qualities in its material composition, durability, and resistance for the outdoor weather conditions.

The Vira Garden Collection was awarded Silver in A' Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Award in 2019. This prestigious award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. With its unique design and innovative approach, the Vira Garden Collection certainly fits the bill.