8 Pendant Lights That Stole the Architectural Digest Design Show

Growing lighting designers flexed their craftsmanship with larger-than-life pendants.

Jennifer Geleff Jennifer Geleff

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From the beauty of the fixture itself to the quality of light that is emitted, the strength of any project is inextricably tied to being seen in its best light. It’s no wonder that in just the last six months, 15,000 units of lighting have been researched through Architizer’s sourcing platform, with pendants comprising a sizeable portion of that number. With that in mind, we scoured the Architectural Digest Design Show for some of the most cutting edge fixtures on the market today.

This season, the Design Show hosted a number of phenomenal local lighting designers, who were given a chance to show off their great craftsmanship and creative use of stunning materials such as brass, nickel and hand-blown glass. Each brand anchored their display with larger-than-life geometric pendants, in many cases even premiering their most scaled-up expression yet. With completely customizable armatures and shades, you are sure to find the perfect pendant — whether subtle or dramatic — for any typological setting or scale.

Pendant LightingTempo Chandelier by Atelier de Troupe

All eyes were on the sculptural armatures of the Tempo series by LA-based designers Atelier de Troupe. Composed of curves joined by shaped connectors, Atelier de Troupe tailors each piece to the individuals’ needs in order to create a perfect sense of rhythm and repetition. Powered by 50W equivalent warm g8 LED bulbs, the fixture is available in both raw brass and blackened brass finishes.

Pendant LightingTripp Mini Pendant by PELLE

Founded by Jean and Oliver Pelle who met while pursuing their Masters of Architecture at Yale University, PELLE is an independent design studio that combines art and engineering to create expressive lighting, among other objects. Creating their own patinas in-house, the Tripp Mini Pendant harnesses PELLE’s newest rusted steel finish. Evoking a sense of an infinitely circling galaxy, the geometric pendant experiments with the classic triangular three-sided shape, and uses angular distortion to emanate light outwards through shifted apertures.

Pendant LightingAlpine LED Chandelier by Studio Endo

Studio Endo’s new Alpine LED Chandelier uses form to embody the grand stature of natural elevations. Three descending peaks of light are vertically aligned to create a monumental composition, making it perfectly suitable over a long table or below a vaulted ceiling. Studio Endo’s Alpine LED Chandelier is available in Black Powdercoat, White Powdercoat, Satin Brass, Satin Copper and Satin Nickel.

Pendant LightingApollo 6 Chandelier by McKenzie & Keim

McKenzie & Keim stole this year’s design show with the Apollo Series, which includes a range of reductive table lamps, pendants and chandeliers. Currently most popular in a matte powder-coated black finish, the Apollo 6 Chandelier is composed of glass and brass shades that blend seamlessly into the fixture’s geometric and customizable armatures. Each of the four shades houses a powerful, dimmable LED bulb, which casts a brilliant yet soft light through the hand blown glass.

Pendant LightingCirrus Double Pendant by Coil and Drift

The newest addition to Coil and Drift’s Cirrus line, this sculptural double pendant is composed of two counterbalanced light sources, each featuring cast-resin rings arranged perpendicularly around a globe bulb. The appearance of small bubbles on the surface of the rings creates the illusion of glass, while functionally remaining much lighter. The upside-down U-shaped polished chrome rod hangs from an additionally vertical rod, which connects the pendant to the ceiling.

Pendant LightingGrand Aperture Chandelier by Allied Maker

This year, New York-based design and manufacturing studio Allied Maker premiered their Grand Aperture Chandelier at the Architectural Digest Design Show. This simple yet highly sophisticated fixture is a scaled version of the Aperture 4 chandelier, only built up for much grander spaces. Four large glass domes encompass a central light source to create a unique statement piece with an engaging quality of light.

Pendant LightingStamen by Niche

Hand-blown in New York and perfect for modern hospitality and residential settings, the Stamen pendant by Niche was inspired by the natural forms of flowers. Through its organic curvature, the Stamen pendant redefines the parameters for hand-blown glass lighting. As the signature pendant in the Niche line, this fixture became the impetus for all of the other pendant designs that followed.

Pendant LightingDuo Pendant by immerLit

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, immerLit designs and individually handcrafts translucent porcelain lighting fixtures, which elegantly highlight the natural beauty and versatility of porcelain material. Inspired by one of the universal symbols of justice, the Duo Pendant balances two angular porcelain shades, which can be visually adjusted to be in perfect symmetry or appear misaligned. Altered using a small swivel, each porcelain shade can be oriented up, down, horizontal or anywhere in between, allowing the user to create their own sense of balance.

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