Reduce the idea of a chandelier down to its essence, and you will get One Crystal Chandelier. Designed by Thomas Feichtner and manufactured by leading Austrian glassware company J & L Lobmeyr, this fantastically reductive pendant light features one glittering crystal amidst a simple backdrop of black steel. The teardrop jewel recalls traditional chandeliers but “consciously breaks with the historically more formal and representative role that crystal chandeliers have played.” In lieu of opulence, One Crystal Chandelier offers “fascinating simplicity.”

One Crystal Chandelier. Designed by Thomas Feichtner. Manufactured by J & L Lobmeyr.

Steel Chandelier with LED

At 150 (5.9”) x 600 (23.6”) x 50 mm (1.9”), the hanging light is small for a chandelier. This may explain why designer Feichtner refers to it as an “entry-level” chandelier. The piece can also be expanded by “adding further crystals as one sees fit.” One Crystal Chandelier can also be expanded by installing a group of the lamps instead of just one. Because it’s affordable, One Crystal Chandelier appeals to design lovers who cannot immediately invest in a large-scale chandelier.

Feichtner’s design contains a cable that runs through a curved tube, at the end of which is an LED light. This LED lights the crystal from below, another reversal from the standard chandelier, which is lit from above (or within).  The LED element also makes for an energy-efficient chandelier, turning One Crystal Chandelier into a statement on consumption as well.

About the Designer: Born in Brazil, Thomas Feichtner studied in Düsseldorf, Germany and later earned his degree at the University of Art and Industrial Design in Linz, Austria. Trained in industrial design, Feichtner opened his own practice creating industrial goods. He has won numerous awards, such as the IF Design Award, the Swiss Design Prize, and the Red Dot Award. Feichtner also worked in the area of visual communications for the brands Swarovski Optik, Adidas Eyewear, and British-Israeli designer Ron Arad. Later in his career, he switched to more artistic endeavors that focused on craft instead of mass production. Feichtner lives and works in Vienna and teaches product design at the Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Kiel, Germany.

Via Dezeen.