Collectible design today is often a study in outsourcing, with an idea conceived in one country, prototyped in another and manufactured in a third. Eva Menz, the German-born, London-based illumination artist, sculptor and founder of lighting brand Atelier001, runs counter to that model.
“We design, prototype, manufacture and finish our pieces here in London,” says Menz, who launched Atelier001 in 2019 and has a studio in Notting Hill. “Being able to walk from the drawing board into the workshop means ideas can be tested, refined and improved almost immediately. We manufacture with a close partner we have known for 15 years, so we can participate in every stage of production, adjusting proportions, finishes and details as the piece develops.”
Take the Cosmic Carousel chandelier, whose brass shades begin as disks, which are individually hand-spun over a steel former and are then finished in sepia, rose and olive lacquer. The process, Menz notes, “gives every component slight variations and character that simply can’t be replicated by industrial production.”
LEDs project light upward into the concealed shades, which reflect it back into the room rather than emitting it directly, an approach central to Menz’s design philosophy. “I’ve always been more interested in the effect of light than the light source itself,” she says. “In nature, we rarely look directly at the sun. We experience light as it reflects off surfaces, creating depth, atmosphere and subtle shifts in tone.”
Arranged along a slender satin-brass stem, the graduated shades appear to hover in orbit, giving the chandelier a kinetic dynamism despite its complete stillness. “There is a rhythm to the composition that references celestial movement, planets, orbit, gravity, but it’s not intended as a literal interpretation,” says Menz. “More than anything, I wanted the piece to evoke curiosity and a sense of wonder.”
Before founding Atelier001, Menz spent years designing large-scale architectural commissions for private clients, and the chandelier produces a similar sensation of scale, although its proportions are smaller. The resonance, it turns out, derives from the details. “Over time,” explains the designer, “small elements reveal themselves, like the brushstrokes within a patina, the slight irregularities and the nuances that only handcraft can produce. It doesn’t require a monumental sculpture to create that connection. In many ways, it is the minute details, discovered and appreciated over time, that make an object feel truly special.”
