Many of us are late picking up our phones and losing countless hours scrolling. Our lives are full of constant distractions, and because of this, time flies by without us realizing it.
But the Phase lamp, designed by London studio Relative Distance, aims to reconnect us with this idea by simulating the moon's rotation around the earth in real-time.
"Our connection to the moon is deeper than we expected," said Roland Ellis, co-founder of the studio. "Phase allows you to have a relationship with something that is such a huge part of our existence. It creates a sense of serenity and connection, and it's a piece that we want people to experience in their home."
The process of creating Phase began four years ago. The image it shows of the moon is actually one released by NASA in 2014, consisting of 15,000 wide-angle photographs of the near side of the moon.
This image is applied to a smoked glass, supported by a case made of mineral composite. All electronic components are shorted to ensure that the lamp will be as thin as possible. It has three settings that offer different options: synchronized with the moon, fully illuminated, and a short lunar animation. The date, time, and brightness are set using three buttons hidden inside the case.
"We spent 4 years working on materials and lighting to perfect the technology and design the electronics and power distribution to make the piece look impossibly thin," said Dev Joshi. "This is part of our design philosophy, to minimize the form of the object to maximize the effect. It creates a suspension of disbelief to experience a very realistic rendition of the moon hanging on a wall indoors."
The Phase lamp will be on display at this year's London Design Festival, which starts on September 14. Each one is handcrafted in Relative Distance's studio in London, and is available in diameters of 60cm and 120cm.
