The ceiling is an oft-ignored design opportunity. Think back to your childhood and you may remember lying in bed and staring up, following the play of shadows or staring at glow-in-the-dark stars and planets. The young recognize the awesome potential of the interior firmament. Adults need to regain this amazement. You might argue that there is no shortage of engaging pendants, but suspension lamps hang from the ceiling: they themselves are the focus of attention. There are but a few ceiling-mounted lamps that make the ceiling itself an art canvas—Skydro by Ross Lovegrove for Artemide is one such object.

Skydro. Designed by Ross Lovegrove. Manufactured by Artemide.

Ceiling-Mounted Luminaire Creates Art from Light

Part Jetsons and part 2001, Skydro by Ross Lovegrove is a ceiling-mounted lamp that’s out of this world. Flashy and futuristic, this unique modular luminaire inspires wonder. Orbs of different sizes scatter in an organic constellation, like glittering water droplets or lustrous river rocks. Made of seven ABS injection-molded reflective units, Skydro is available with integrated halogen or LED lighting.

The system is modular, so you can add extra units in order to invent your own galaxy. For people who are big on dreaming but short on time, Artemide offers templates to help put together multiple units. With Skydro, any ceiling can become a gallery overhead. Gleaming and glossy, the sparkling splashes seem like they’ve been birthed by something living just beyond the ceiling, perhaps an alien life force inhabiting the floor above. Skydro is the ultimate space invader.

About the Manufacturer: Artemide is a leading manufacturer of lighting fixtures, including suspension, ceiling, table, floor, and wall lamps. Known for innovation, Artemide designs according to their simple philosophy of creating “the human light”—intelligent light that responds to people, “concentrated on the concept of the context of life, understood as a specific microenvironment in which an event occurs where one or more persons are the protagonist.” The company uses this guiding aesthetic to help them design flexible and adaptable products with optimal light quality and minimal environmental impact.