London Design Festival set the stage for the debut of Corner Light—a limited-edition cordless lamp created by London studio There’s Light in collaboration with NEOZ. Born from the studio’s work for Tate Modern’s Corner Bar, the design carries over that project’s material language—dark accents, brass, and glass—and the idea of light as a source of atmosphere rather than backdrop. At the launch event, guests picked it up, turned it over, and lingered in its warm candle-like glow, a low, intimate light meant to pull conversation closer.
During the launch evening, amid the hum of the crowd and the soft gradation of light that inspired the product, we spoke to There’s Light designers Fabio Cristini and Darran Prior about bringing their first product to life.
Good vibes and great convos. Fabio and Darran of There’s Light at the Corner Light launch event.
Corner Light evolved from your work on Tate Modern’s Corner Bar. How did that translate into the product we see today?
Fabio: That project really pushed us to design something that worked as a café and also as a cocktail bar. So really, it ended up being two kinds of briefs in one project. It was very challenging for us creatively. We wanted to design something truly bespoke for them. That’s when we found the wonderful partners in NEOZ. The materiality all came from the Tate, from the Corner Bar. The glass comes from the glass bricks on one of the elevations of the main space. The whole project was all about how materials were lit, and this is all of those intentions in a product form.
Darran: We wanted to emphasise intimacy and create a break in what is quite a large, open-plan space. From experience, we all know it’s nice to have something at low level that draws your eye down and makes you lower your tone of voice, so you speak more closely and intimately. A table light does that. We wanted something that glowed first and foremost, but not a simple plastic diffuser that filled every element. We wanted a gradation of light, with intensity in the centre. One of the early inspirations was Olafur Eliasson’s Weather Project—the large sun in the Turbine Hall. We wanted that warm intensity in the middle.
Talk us through material choices and the feel you were aiming for.
Darran: This came from very early conversations with the Tate. We were fortunate to have clients who were very interested in the design process. We understood that they wanted to carry on the look and feel established at Tate Modern over the last 25 years, since Herzog & de Meuron’s refurbishment, which brought in the civic, street architecture feel of the Turbine Hall and the large iron columns. We didn’t want to deviate from that.
Fabio: Different to a lot of hospitality or commercial clients, where they are in it for maybe five years, Tate really wanted the design to last. They had to have longevity. They were interested in how the maintenance would work and in purchasing quality. High-quality materials were really important. Quite a few of the materials were reused from the existing space, including old coffee grounds. We attempted to reuse and ethically source everything, and recycle as much as possible. All of the lighting fixtures we chose had to follow that same criteria. In cordless lights, almost no manufacturers tick those boxes. NEOZ really are the pioneers, and you definitely tick that box in recyclability.
The Corner at Tate Modern
Was there a moment you knew the design had found its true form?
Fabio: Yes! There was a while when we weren’t quite getting it—something always felt slightly off. When we had the last one, which was the one we sent to NEOZ, we were like, okay, it’s 95% there. The height, the proportions, everything was on point, and it was just missing the last few elements of how it would go together.
Darran: Compared to that, the earlier ones were only 10% there. Because it was our first opportunity to design a product like this, we made mistakes along the way. But when we received the prototype from NEOZ, I remember the smile on Fabio’s face. We knew from earlier conversations with NEOZ that the company had the right ethos and expertise. When we saw the prototype, we felt safe in good hands. With other manufacturers, we felt we always had to compromise based on what they could or couldn’t do. That wasn’t the case with NEOZ.
Fabio: Exactly. Before, it always felt like compromises. With NEOZ, it didn’t. And as lighting designers, we always test things by living with them. You can’t just look at a material sample—you have to turn it on, have a meal next to it, see if the colour temperature feels right, if people look good under it. That’s the only way you know.
This is your first product release as a studio. How does it feel?
Darran: Now I’m going to get emotional! We’ve had so many compliments, so many wonderful things said. When you create something tangible like this, it’s different. As lighting designers, for years, we’ve been convincing clients and architects of the benefits of lighting design. We both studied architecture, but we were more interested in how one feels in a space, the emotional and psychological response. To have the opportunity to bring that experience into a physical object with the expertise of NEOZ—it’s hard to put into words. It’s probably one of the best things.
Fabio: It’s amazing. We’ve done bespoke fixtures before, and it’s wonderful to see something you imagined take form in a space. But a product is different, because suddenly it’s a series. It can occupy different spaces. This started as site-specific, but now it goes beyond the Corner Bar. It’s like a little bit of us, taking form and going out into hotels, homes, everywhere.
How does Corner Light reflect your wider design philosophy?
Fabio: It has to last. It has to be as circular, recyclable, and interchangeable as possible, because that’s what makes it last. It may sound like something new, but really it’s going back to what design once was, before this disposable culture. As a studio, we’ve always strived for that. In architectural projects we even look at savings on cabling, because that’s less copper. It’s not just about costs, but the materials we consume. Our industry has a severe impact. This product carries those ideas into a lamp.
Darran: I think it speaks to the honest endeavour of both NEOZ and There’s Light. Even down to the fixings on the base, the choice of materials—it’s honest. There are no hidden parts propping it up. That really reflects who we are, and who NEOZ are.
The Corner Light launch event installation at The Corner at Tate Modern
How do you see this shaping the studio’s direction?
Darran: I see this as a catalyst, a big step forward. We’ve spoken before about legacy and the importance of creating products that last. We’ve enjoyed this process from start to finish, and we don’t want it to stop here.
Fabio: It’s definitely a stepping stone into product design. We’ve done several bespoke fixtures, but this takes it further. The process is very different to architectural lighting design, but the principles are the same. We want to be responsible. Our industry is not always conducive to that, but we can make the best of it. Even if it is mass-produced, it can be responsible. Why make it out of the most throwaway materials, bonded in a way that can’t be taken apart? That’s how we’ve always thought. We avoid things like powder coating because once you powder coat, it’s very hard to recycle. This was interesting—bringing those concepts into a product. Hopefully, we’ll see more of that.
How was the process of working with NEOZ?
Darran: I’ve loved the process from start to finish. It’s been a huge learning curve, and that’s the wonderful thing about being a designer. NEOZ felt like family. So many people—James, Nicole, Gabriel, Jon, Bim—everyone had a part in it. That made it very special.
Fabio: One big word is commitment. Determination and commitment to deliver an amazing product without compromising your viewpoints as a company, which wonderfully align with ours. That was the best part. And also a wonderful layer of pragmatism. We can be pie in the sky, so it’s important to bring that down to earth. It was a very interesting journey.
What do you hope Corner Light brings to people?
Fabio: If we can bring some wonderful romantic moments to people, that’s a big success. It may be in someone’s home, in a bar, in a hotel, or outside in a garden. There’s something beautiful about candlelight. This is like a 2.0 version of that—glowing, flattering, romantic.
Darran: I hope it encourages conversation, like we saw in the Corner Bar. It’s a bit nostalgic—years ago, people used to carry a light with them. Now with a switch, every corner of a room is illuminated. People are pining for the old ways. Not tradition for the sake of it, but the romantic notion of carrying light outside, sharing a glass of wine with someone. It’s high-tech but also old-school. Hopefully, it gives people a more intimate experience.
