By Andrew Liszewski
There’s a lot of factors that make working in a typical office environment unappealing and the Maantis lighting system was designed to deal with at least one of them. Created by the Richard Rogers Partnership in collaboration with Reggiani Illuminazione the Maantis lights were designed as a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to standard fluorescent lights and the original idea for the system actually came from a few thousand leagues under the sea.
The inspiration for Maantis was taken from the iridescent glow of deep-sea creatures. The natural evolution of these creatures has led to them being able to emit a light energy which derives from their structure and metabolism. In the same way, Maantis’ prismatic polycarbonate ribs are designed to ensure that rays emanating from the principal T5 light source are diffused, reflected and refracted in such a way that the amount of light spillage and glare is minimised and the system is highly efficient. Even when the light is switched off, the prismatic ribs continue to absorb light and colours from the surrounding space and produce a slight translucent glow, depending on the exact lighting conditions.
The Maantis system actually exists as a working prototype which was first shown to the public at the Frankfurt Fair in April of 2006. However there is no word as to when this system will actually be put in use in offices around the world.
[ Maantis Lighting System ] VIA [ Tech Digest ]
