A young Norwegian designer wins acclaim abroad

The Daylight comes sideways lamp is designed to hang on a wall and recreate the feeling of the sun shining through a window

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Daniel Rybakken won red dot: best of the best in 2007 for Daylight comes sideways

Red dot is known for being the most prestigious design award in Europe.

The projector underneath the table Subconscious effects of daylight generates shadows on the floor.

The Daylight comes sideways lamp is designed to hang on a wall and recreate the feeling of the sun shining through a window

 

In 2007, Daniel Rybakken was awarded the Young Talents Award from the Norwegian Design Council for his Daylight comes sideways lamp. Since then he has received a good deal of acclaim and won several prizes abroad, and this year he was awarded top prize at the world’s largest furniture fair in Milan.

The Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2009 furniture fair, which closed in Milan on 27 April, is considered by many designers to the most important fair in the world, and it is therefore particularly pleasant that a Norwegian designer receives such acclaim. In competition with 700 other young design talents, Daniel Rybakken and his products emerged victorious in this year’s “Design Report Award”.

Opens up small rooms
The Sunlight comes sideways lamp and Subconscious effects of daylight table, which Mr Rybakken showed at the trade fair, are based on the principle that daylight creates the illusion of larger and more pleasant spaces. By using LED technology and shadow effects over the light surface, both the lamp and the table create the illusion of moving sunlight inside the room. That this idea comes from a designer who lives in a country with long, dark winters will come as no surprise.

Funded by the Norwegian government
Each year the Committee for Architecture and Design at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides funding for designers and architects for international marketing. This year Daniel Rybakken was awarded NOK 20,000 for his participation at the furniture fair in Milan. The funds were spent on developing a stand at the fair in Milan, but with prize money of EUR 10,000 Mr Rybakken will now continue to develop his products.

International acclaim
The furniture fair in Milan was not the first time Daniel Rybakken has won acclaim abroad. In 2008 he took part in the 100% Norway exhibition in London where many of the 40,000 or so visitors to the exhibition, including the international press, were enthused by his innovative table. In 2007 he was nominated for an Index Award in Copenhagen and he received the Best of the Best Red Dot Award for his Daylight comes sideways lamp. The Red Dot Award is reputed to be one of the most prestigious design awards in Europe, and is certainly confirmation of the talent possessed by this young designer.


Text: Kristian Paulsen, Norwegian Design Council