Vibia’s Tube Collection: Behind the Design

Recalling the architecture of an urban grid, designer Ichiro Iwasaki’s Tube collection creates a striking landscape of conduits and shades. The customisable modular system is inspired by the idea that lighting expresses various concepts depending on how it’s configured—concepts, Iwasaki says, like “regular or irregular,” “vertical or horizontal,” “maximum or minimum.”

Photgraphy: Ricardo Gonçalves. Architecture: Aboim Inglez Arquitectos.

Distilled to its essence, the minimalist collection is available as a single module or in personalised groupings. Its sleek aluminum shades come in widths from 22-53 centimetres and in ceiling or pendant versions with adjustable heights.

Iwasaki selected four gray colours for the shade, which work in harmony with the metal material and reflect the tonal shifts of daytime into night. The myriad styles and finishes enable endless looks to suit a range of rooms.

A network of tubes channels the light vertically or horizontally from a single electrical power point to up to four shades.

The tubes can be positioned as needed, conjuring the trademark lines and angles of a transit map. Rather than conceal their utilitarian look, the personalized patterns are celebrated in a design that seamlessly merges form and function.

The configurations unfold in space, evoking a fluid, single-stroke line drawing that connects each light point to another.