Architect Pitsou Kedem‘s projects mirror his way of life: a constant search for light, silence, and matter. From his studio, which he founded in 2000, he explores a profound and expressive vision of minimalism defined by rich materials, respect for context, and a desire to bring order to chaos. His buildings are an invitation to pause and a balm for the senses. In an enlightening conversation, he shares with us his sources of inspiration, the principles that guide his work and the routines that shape his life. Through his eyes—those of a photographer and architect—we discover a way of seeing and understanding light as raw material, as an element that shapes reality and gives it depth.

Pitsou Kedem tells us how, from the moment he set foot in the monument erected by the sculptor Danny Karavan in the Negev desert, everything changed. It was in that habitable sculpture made of concrete, with geometries drawing a play of light and shadow, that his love for architecture was born.

In his buildings, Pitsou gives space for the materials to breathe, and in his mind, he does the same with his thoughts. That’s why he always carries a book in his backpack and every day finds time to sit in a café and read. By immersing himself in the lives of others, he is able to disconnect, clear his head, and sharpen his focus.

James Turrell and his artistic approach to light and space helped Pitsou reconcile two facets of himself: the need for order and the search for warmth. His first encounter with Turrell’s work was at the Israel Museum, home to “Space that sees,” an environmental sculpture that opens up to the sky and invites meditative contemplation of the movement of clouds and light that bathes the space. In his projects, he seeks to recreate such material and formal restraint that leaves room for emotion and thought.

He feels the same way when he contemplates Turrell’s work as he does every time he visits his greatest source of inspiration: nature. Climbing in the Norwegian fjords, the silence allows his thoughts to wander as he observes the light “painting on the blank canvas that is the landscape”. Back in the studio, he pours that feeling into his projects, designing them so that they do not impose themselves, so that they allow those who inhabit them to express their inner beings.

A strong belief guides their work: light is to a space what raw material is to a structure. It is used to build, to shape. In the studio, he approaches each building as an opportunity to let light penetrate and bring meaning and textures alive, highlighting volumes. For him, architecture is “the human experience in space” and light is his ally in enriching it. That is why he considers that his 25-year career can be summed up in a minute in cinema: the scene in the film The Brutalist in which the protagonist uses a flashlight to show how light will fall on the future building.

His language is made up of dichotomies, tensions, and well-resolved balances. He is well aware that without darkness we cannot appreciate light. That is why he pursues a kind of minimalism that is neither neutral nor cold; it is exciting, expressive, enriched by the contrast between light and shadow, between colors and textures. If he had to choose just one piece of advice to give to a young architect: “Find your language and stay true to it until the end. Even if there is noise out there. Even if others tell you that it is extreme, that it is exaggerated. Believe in your architectural truth”.

In a profession often dominated by ego, Pitsou runs in the opposite direction: he seeks to work with people who are eager to share their ideas because, for him, teamwork is essential to awaken a kind of creativity that only comes from dialogue and diversity. Just in the same way emotion arises from the dialogue between light and matter within a space.

“I am not an architect who also takes photos; I am a photographer who also builds.” This is how Pitsou defines himself, and that way of looking at the world—and architecture—through the lens that was the origin is still present in his work today. And it is not just the gaze, it is the whole process, what precedes and follows the shot. The wait for what is seen to be exposed: by the light that falls on the building just before capturing it, by the light that penetrates the negative and imprints it, by the chemicals that will gradually print that snapshot in the darkroom. With the attitude of a photographer, he draws the building: little by little, letting it reveal itself.

There is a certain poetry in coming back that the departure lacks. Leaving is exciting, yes, but from The Odyssey to Spirited Away, great stories have taught us that what we humans long for the most is being back. We know this; we feel it every day. That is why good design is so important in that space we call home. Architecture, materials, and lighting must be carefully considered so that we finally feel at refuge once we arrive.

In the bedroom, this premise becomes even more relevant as it is the only place where rushing is forbidden. Here we indulge in reading, contemplation, and thought, and we transition between day and night, sleep and wakefulness, activity and rest. Light guides us in this transition, making it pleasant. In every room of a house, but especially in this one, well-designed lighting transcends function and addresses the senses: it helps us slow our heart rate, relax our shoulders, and gently drift toward the end of the day until we finally fall into a deep sleep.

Such light must be warm, ethereal, and enveloping. It must blend into the surroundings without imposing itself. It must be like that of Vibia’s Flamingo Mini luminaire, with which its designer, Antoni Arola, manages to remove the barrier between lighting and space. The model is ideal because its creation is an exercise in lightness. The LED light source is separated by multiple layers of translucent diffusers, causing it to be projected onto the screen rather than surrounding the source. The effect is dreamlike. The light is deconstructed and, in deconstructing itself, it can be inhabited. It accompanies in a silent and delicate way that journey towards the end of the day.

In the bedroom of this house designed by the studio 5 Sólidos, inspired by Japanese minimalism, the light provided by Flamingo Mini interacts with the architecture, the materials, and the exterior landscape to achieve the desired sanctuary effect. By projecting light onto the diffusers—demonstrating the power of reflection over brightness—it allows for shadow, for that penumbra that softens the space and brings serenity. Suspending two of them on either side of the bed, they subtly light up the concrete and wood, adding to the interplay of textures.

Flamingo Mini is also an exercise in adaptation and respect. Its compact design responds harmoniously to the proportions of the room, and the modular nature of the diffusers allows to play with their quantity and size so it can be adapted to the tastes and desires of those who live in the house. Its presence is elegant, with a touch of mystery that is perfect for immersing us in our inner world. Its balanced silhouette, the result of a graceful interaction between elegant horizontal planes and fine vertical lines, conveys that sense of balance to our inner selves.

Throughout the day, its diffused light accompanies rhythms and moments, matching the natural light that enters through the large window in the bedroom designed by 5 Sólidos, a viewpoint overlooking the wild nature that surrounds this house on the outskirts of Medellín. During daylight hours, it provides general lighting, which changes to a more ambient and focused light as the sun disappears and night falls. Thus, this luminaire acts as a natural extension of the architecture: a silent presence that breathes at the same pace as the space and its inhabitants.

In a space as personal as the bedroom, the light from Flamingo Mini sets the pace for rest, enveloping us in a warm silence, inviting us to slow down and let our thoughts wander: it transforms the routine of going to sleep into a source of well-being. It achieves all this because, as befits careful lighting, it moves in the realm of subtlety and delicacy. It connects us with the primitive source of light, fire, but at the same time with the most refined poetry. Thanks to Antoni Arola‘s design, light is deconstructed and, as a result, we allow ourselves to be deconstructed, letting go of our burdens until we enter the world of dreams, feeling safe there, in our bedroom.

Credits:
– Project by 5 Sólidos
– Photography by 5 Sólidos

We’re talking to the British designer about his creative process and his interests, beyond lighting and architecture.

Umut Yamac is best known most for his light fittings, going beyond functionality, these are authentic light sculptures, pieces that combine a highly precise and architectural focus with a more poetic, artistic and delicate side. Array is proof of this approach, a collection of hanging light fittings for Vibia, the first collaboration between both of them, that appear to envelop the light. They are made by hand from fine threads woven tensioned between two aluminium rings. The series combines an even downward lighting with a glowing up-light. The resulting lamps are subtle and airy, yet spectacular and versatile, beautiful conical and cylindrical shapes volumes suspended in space. We are talking to him about his work, his memories, passions and interests. Through this guide format Yamac introduces us to the places, objects and experiences that inspire his creativity.

Umut has two great passions, neither are specific places or destinations, nature and travel. Both are reflected in his work and provide a great source of inspiration. “I spend a lot of my time walking my dog along the marshes close to where I work, no matter the weather. I really enjoy these obligatory breaks during the working day, and I’ve discovered that living in the moment in the great outdoors allows me to hone an idea and work it through, or even to come up with a solution,” he reflects. Travelling also gives me great pleasure; being in a different setting where you’re not familiar with the people, the language of the environment. “Leaving the day-to-day behind, getting out of my comfort-zone makes me more observant and receptive to the unknown.”

“James Turrell is probably the artist who has influenced me the most. I met him early in my career. His ability to direct and control openings and voids are not only fascinating experiments in physics, but they also demonstrate the extraordinary power of light and allow us to appreciate its magic.” The designer especially admires the works that Turrell created during what is known as his Mendota period, when he leased the Mendota Hotel in Santa Monica as his studio during the 1960s, over several years he the space used the space experiment, altering its architecture and the way it the light entered.

“I’m always looking for warmth and depth when exploring materials and textures. Warmth in terms of the quality of light, and a tactile quality but also familiarity. And depth, not only in the physical sense but conceptual and in terms of layering. One of the fascinating properties of light is its capacity to pass through materials, imbuing them with a luminance while also adding a sculptural quality.” Yamac understands art to be a fundamental part of design and creates products focused on the interaction between the user and the object, while paying particular attention to detail and sensations. He explores concepts such as tension, colour, volume and movement through his work.

Discovering new artists by listening to the radio (“Especially the BBC 6 Music station and the Gilles Peterson, Iggy Pop, Guy Garvey and Lauren Laverne programmes”) and (with his weakness for melancholy) going back again and again to Nick Cave and PJ Harvey. “That emotion is really useful to me during the process of making components and prototypes. But that doesn’t stop me from a little Sabrina Carpenter every now and again,” he laughs.

London’s Southbank Centre played a really important part in his adolescence. It all started with skateboarding, as its underground spaces were taken over by skaters during the 1970s. “As a student I started to explore the other areas of the centre: cinema, the art gallery, the theatre and the concert hall. As well as the unique location on the Thames River I’d also point out the thinking behind it and its inclusivity, which represents the very essence of London,” he explains.

He’s a great fan of Asian cuisine and Mexican spiciness, but Umut particularly enjoys Indonesian food because it brings back happy memories of his childhood in North London with friends and family.

He collects books and small desktop and mechanical toys. He likes the wooden or metal ones that fit inside his pocket. “They work on the principle of physics but have a playful side that’s evident when touched, something that I aim for in my designs,” he explains. And it’s true that his work combines art, engineering and storytelling, creating pieces that are both functional and impacting with a certain playful spirit.

“I believe that kindness and being open are often ignored or underestimated, however they’re critical for successful teamwork. What’s more, a new member of staff must go through a highly concentrated and detailed process to be part of the team,” he concludes.

It’s these small gestures; a daily walk, listening to music or collecting executive toys that appeal to Umut Yamac and help define his particular take on design: amiable, experimental with a touch of poetry. Simplicity and the everyday feed his work and his individual sensibility, with which he not only invents light fittings but more accurately works of art.

For Francisco Gomez Paz, the traditional work lamp demonstrates great complexity and intelligence from a mechanical perspective. Fascinated by the way it transports light to a particular point in a space and holds it at that point, Africa was inspired by a desire to rethink the classic design through a contemporary lens.

Today, spaces have become fluid, they have become dynamic, one works and moves in a more nomadic way. Gómez Paz’s first intuition was to take out the mechanical aspect of the work lamp and to give it freedom through a battery-powered LED light source that provides a very particular type of close, focused illumination.

Africa generates a micro space within a space; a place to meet, a personal space in which to focus all of your attention. The fact of being able to take that focal point with you is very powerful, it creates a work surface wherever you are, be it a table where one is eating or a corner for reading.

Africa was born from an idea and little by little, its form was shaped. Form was not born before function, but as a result of the process. Beyond the merging of function and beauty, there are many parameters that make that form exist.

On a technical level, Vibia decided on the complex challenge of making it mono material. Aluminium is a noble material, it allows it to be 100% recycled, but it also lends Africa the unique beauty of being a single piece, transforming lamp into sculpture.

Class was inspired by the classic lamppost, which Sebastian Herkner reimagined taking its cue from early 20th-century design and imbuing it with the intimacy of indoor environments. The result is a modern interpretation that bathes the surrounding space with a soft, diffuse and indirect light.

As if it mirrored nature around, Class exudes a “natural character”, in both aesthetic and texture, especially in the version with two asymmetrical diffusers, available as a wall sconce or floor lamp. “Its vertical structure and its soft bend evoke reed or grass, but not in an obvious way”, he highlights.

Harmony and intuition endure as driving forces in Herkner’s creative practice, and Class is no exception. “A balance between precision and craftsmanship”, he points out.

Sleek and timeless, the refined silhouette of this cylindrical luminaire smoothly collides with a striking study in materiality, combining aluminium, borosilicate glass and opal polycarbonate.

Azúa’s inspiration derived from the idea of a planetarium. His early sketches for the collection—circular shapes drawn on a dark wall— resembled an interstellar galaxy, a concept he developed with Dots. With its landscape of beams and halos, the sconces create an intimate, illuminated universe that connects a space.

Azúa also aimed for diversity with Dots, producing a versatile lighting system available in four versions. Each features a unique cone cutout that generates endless effects ranging from a spotlight to a perimeter halo. Deployed alone like a sparkling jewel or in a group like a glowing galaxy, his design represents a departure from staid sconces with its fresh, playful feel that encourages experimentation.

Another departure from standard wall lamps is Dots’ choice of materials and finishes. It comes in solid wood or a range of lacquered finishes to further distinguish the simple forms, while providing additional personalised features.