Taking cues from the classic Banker’s Light, British designer John Tree merged archetypal references with his contemporary, colourful sensibility to create the Apex Lamp collection. The series comprises the Clip Lamp, Desk Clip Lamp, Desk Lamp, and Table Lamp, with the different models covering a multitude of spaces and uses, from the workspace to the bedroom and everywhere in between.
We visited John Tree in his studio in London to learn about the story behind Apex.
What was the inspiration behind this piece?
John Tree: There is a style of light called a banker’s lamp that is designed to offer local and directional light. Apex is an exploration of this typology. With Apex, I wanted color to remain a central part of the design: the shade is all about color while the rest of the design is in a polished chrome to blend into its environment. Folding a sheet of steel over the light source created a sort of roofline, which led to its name – as in, the apex of a roof.
To me, HAY is about accessibility, longevity, and color. Apex works hard to bring these elements together.
What is unique about this item?
John Tree: Apex is uniquely mobile, colorful, and adjustable. Its clean lines and nod to vintage banker’s lamps allow it to work in both modern and very traditional spaces. The clamp on model allows the light to be positioned in a range of locations that light often doesn’t get to.
How is sustainability factored into this item?
John Tree: We have designed Apex to be as long-lasting as possible with a complete metal construction that avoids plastics. Parts are reduced to the minimum, and simplicity is chosen over complexity to extend its lifetime. It is a simple mechanism that is very well-engineered in metal to last the test of time. Designed around E14 LED bulbs, the light source is super-efficient and replaceable worldwide with an established format that guarantees availability long into the future. Furthermore, the family of fittings is designed share a lot of common parts to reduce manufacturing complexity, waste, and tooling.
British John Tree is a London-based product and furniture designer. After graduating from Kingston University, he worked for FM Design before developing products for the Sony Design team in their Tokyo, San Francisco, and London offices. John subsequently joined Jasper Morrison’s studio, before opening his own office in 2016. He currently divides his time between Jasper’s studio and his own, where he pushes and explores industrial processes to create contract and domestic furniture, lighting, accessories, and electronics. His work has been widely featured in a number of international publications, as well as winning several prestigious design awards. For HAY, John Tree has designed the Apex Lamp collection.
