“The electric light will make people work themselves to death”, said the famous Scandinavian writer Strindberg. It seems that Wästberg took this statement personally. They have attempted to enhance the human experience by dimming down the intensity of modern general lighting and utilising beautifully designed direct lighting.
This aim has resulted in the Wästberg manifesto:
- Decrease general lighting and use direct lighting.
- Direct lighting should have all the basic properties of task lighting, but a wider area of use.
- Direct lighting should include energy efficient light sources, minimal glare, flicker free light, plenty of light evenly distributed over a large surface, and the ability to adjust light intensity.
Wästberg create their award-winning Swedish lighting in collaboration with world-renowned architects and designers, such as Kim Colin, Sam Hecht, Ilse Crawford, Maarten Van Severen and Inga Sempé. Wästberg continue to stay true both to their ethos and their Scandinavian heritage for product design and engineering. As Magnus Wästberg says, “people will continue to work themselves to death, even in the light of Wästberg’s lamps. But they will feel better while doing it.”
