Quadratube is the new product designed by architect and designer Jean-Michel Wilmotte, which revolutionises and reinterprets the famous Sammode tube, an iconic model created in 1967. How can a historical model be revisited and innovated while maintaining continuity with the past? The answer given by Wilmotte and Sammode is “to make a square tube“: Quadratube was in fact born after three years of research conducted by Jean-Michel Wilmotte in collaboration with Emmanuel Gagnez, CEO of Sammode, on the mathematical concept of “squaring the circle“, which inspired the idea of making the iconic tubular product square.
The result is a surprisingly elegant collection of luminaires with a rectangular profile. Quadratube presents 3 different types of luminaires: a pendant and two wall lights, available in different finishes, colours, materials and even grids, for a total of no less than 18 different models. The choice of noble materials (glass, lacquered steel, etc.) combined with careful design and meticulous assembly details give this new collection a rare elegance and harmony. All the original structural elements remained unchanged, what changed was the transparent body, which was originally cylindrical and was designed in a rectangular shape.
The architect and designer comments: “I find it remarkable that a company like Sammode, which already produces an iconic lamp – its famous tubular luminaire – nevertheless continues to explore other directions to invent new models.” Jean-Michel Wilmotte finds lighting design exciting and has always been attracted to challenges that push the boundaries of the possible.
The challenge of the project was to maintain the elongated shape of the original luminaire, while evolving it without distorting its essence. Quadratube’s silhouette represents a true small architecture, the result of meticulous dimensioning work, with its full-length shape, more open and slender on both sides. With the Quadratube, Jean-Michel Wilmotte has succeeded in maintaining Sammode’s identity, while offering a completely new, high-tech luminaire with a high level of craftsmanship to provide a high quality lighting solution.
