ECAL X Baccarat : Lights of Harcourt

In the wake of a collaboration initiated in 2011, Lausanne-based art and design school ECAL (Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne) and prestigious French fine crystal brand Baccarat are pursuing a joint reflection around the iconic Harcourt range.

Supervised by designer Camille Blin, five pairs of students in the “Product Design Master and Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship” designed the Lights of Harcourt, a family of astonishing and contemporary lamps.

These modular lamps give users the freedom to sculpt light according to their mood. Like the pearls on a necklace, the crystal beads can be stacked up around the source of light.

Spot is a range of lights allowing for the light to be oriented according to our needs and desires. Created thanks to a simple tube which pierces through the crystal light shade, this functional aspect creates a daring and unexpected contrast between metal and crystal, industry and craftsmanship.

Baccarat lamps Voilà are based on the confrontation of two icons – the traditional light bulb and Baccarat’s distinctive Harcourt cut. The size of the crystal light form is slightly bigger than the usual light bulb in order to highlight its importance. Furthermore, a minimalistic design of each lamp base ensures that the focus is on the precious crystal piece. Voilà is about simplicity and playfulness which is why along with a ceiling lamp, table lamp and a wall lamp, it offers the possibility of a string of lights.

From Camille Blin – “From molten matter to the end-product, via crystal cutting, we sought to light up — in the literal and figurative sense — the qualities of this material rife with a unique historical past. Questioning all aspects of the glassmakers’ know-how and reinterpreting the 6-facet motif of the famous Harcourt glass, each project diverts the Baccarat emblem from its original function to delve into the magical mysteries of crystal. You discover a tribute to the sculptures of Ettore Sottsass with a modular lamp with multi-faceted effects. In the subtly playful dance-hall spirit, a traditional light bulb is robed in facets, mounted as a garland or magnified on a lamp stand. Hinting at the surrealist universe of Salvador Dali, a project diverts the crystal’s properties to turn it into a coat with a bevelled lining which wraps around a metal structure. Enshrined in a crystal goblet, a spotlight allows you to freely position the light. Available in an infinite variety of colours, another concept focuses on the refraction phenomena displayed by crystal. Boasting the obvious look of a child’s masterpiece, a lamp makes the traditional Harcourt hexagon at its heart beat with emotion”.

Photos © ECAL / Baccarat