As humans, our lives have since time immemorial been dictated by the cycle of day and night. But since the introduction of artificial lighting into our homes and offices, our bodies have gotten out of step. Scientists believe this has resulted in illnesses ranging from depression to insomnia. Italian designer Stefano Pertegato is trying to redress this situation with Luminarium, a light that mimics the sun.

Pertegato developed Luminarium after researching how the wavelengths of sunlight varies throughout the day, and how this in turn affects the production of melatonin. In order to put our sleep/wake cycles back into wack, Luminarium runs on a 12-hour light cycle. The light consists of three t2 fluorescent lamps and an  LED spotlight mounted on a mechanized arm. The three lamps mix indoor light to mimic what is happening outside, going from a morning light of 3000°K to 6000°K in the afternoon and then back again. The LED spotlight creates a visual connection to the path of the sun as it moves across the room during the day. Stylistically, the gears of the dynamic spotlight look like they have been taken straight from a grandfather clock creating an interesting harmony between modern lighting and Swiss clockwork. The elegance the concept is matched perfectly with that of the design.

Pertegato hopes that by creating more “natural” artificial light, we’ll be able to reset our internal clocks and thereby improve wellbeing and productivity. If anything is up to this challenge, it certainly is Luminarium.

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