Nature-Inspired Elegance of the World’s Largest Residential Chandelier

Cape Town’s reputation as a hub of design excellence has been further solidified with the unveiling of the world’s largest residential chandelier by the renowned lighting design studio, One to One, led by Martin Doller. This masterpiece, designed and built locally, is set to grace an 8000-square-metre home in Lagos, Nigeria, under a stunning glass and steel skylight.

Created for a private residence designed by the globally acclaimed South African architectural firm SAOTA, this chandelier is more than just a light fixture; it is a monumental art piece named “Stemma,” symbolizing the concept of a family tree. Its design, inspired by the natural beauty of sun-dappled forests, aims to bring the serenity of the outdoors inside, casting a soft, natural glow that complements both intimate family moments and grand celebrations.

The journey of Stemma, spanning three years and thousands of man-hours, reflects an iterative design process that drew upon multiple disciplines and embraced the challenges of the global pandemic. From conceptualization to realization, Doller and his team meticulously crafted this 15-meter-long, 4-meter-wide, and 6-meter-tall chandelier, weighing 1000kg, to ensure it met the highest standards of aesthetic and technical excellence.

Today, we jump into the story behind this extraordinary creation with Martin Doller, exploring the challenges, inspirations, and innovations that brought the world’s largest residential chandelier to life.

Stemma’s inspiration draws on nature’s beauty. Beyond the “sun-dappled forest” concept, were there any specific natural elements or phenomena that played a role in the design? How did these specific elements translate into the chandelier’s final form (shape, structure, etc.) and how do they affect how the light functions (spread, patterns, etc.)?

Our philosophy of creating experiential lighting and drawing on nature’s beauty to create a space of well-being is evident in the design of Stemma. Nature and the space allowed us to create a piece that is diverse, interactive, and adaptable. To achieve the sun-dappled forest effect, we used natural elements and phenomena that already existed in the formal living space.

The volume of space, accompanied by the natural skylight, was a key element during Stemma’s design. The vision was to soften the vast space, consisting of a nine-meter ceiling, with a feature inspired by nature. This led to the creation of the stylized asymmetric cascading tree branch, Stemma.

Another feature that influenced Stemma’s design was the existing skylight in the space. This natural element contributes to the sculpture’s variance, as Stemma is perceived very differently during the day versus the night when the lights are on. The shape of the branches cascades over the two seating areas in the formal lounge and brings the volume of the space down, creating the desired feeling of intimacy for a “living area.”

Stemma consists of three types of lighting: focused light spots, indirect ambient light sources, and a theatrical starlit effect across seven circuits with one hundred and fifty light sources. This enabled us to achieve a tailored light fitting to the environment and space available.

Stemma’s success hinged on a successful collaboration with both SAOTA architects and ARRCC interior designers. Can you elaborate on One to One’s approach to collaborative design? How did you ensure that Stemma seamlessly integrated with the existing architectural and interior plans for the Lagos residence?

Collaboration allows various team members to hone in on their respective strengths. This endeavor allowed us to collectively work on our strengths to ultimately create a sculpture that would not have been created on an individual scale. Challenges arise with any creation, especially in the making of a prodigious project such as Stemma. Collective efforts between ourselves, the architects, and the interior designers were essential to ensure the success of Stemma.

The process of collaborative effort was vital in ensuring the integration of Stemma into the existing architectural and design plans to ensure an atmosphere of cohesiveness. The architectural and design team’s input was essential when considering what materials and finishes Stemma would consist of. The integration of Stemma would not be possible without these teams as well as the diverse external stakeholders, including industrial designers and engineers, who played an enormous role in the collaboration process.

While the Stemma chandelier’s size is undeniably impressive, what specific design elements or features, besides its scale, do you believe contribute most to its artistic impact and create a lasting impression for the homeowner?

At face value, Stemma is an impressive creation due to its size; however, the finer intricacies further its artistic impact. Working with and pushing the leading patina specialist outside of their comfort zone allowed for the creation of a unique sculpture made of a finish requiring four layers of colors and textures across five hundred and sixty leaves, which were completely unique.

Stemma’s creation timeline is notable, contributing to its artistic impact. The development took three years and thousands of hours. The unique intricate design elements and the time put into Stemma’s creation ensured that the piece will create a lifelong impression for the homeowner.

We wanted to create a space and energy for the homeowners through Stemma. Therefore, it’s important to frame the setting where the homeowners return home to what feels like an escape to a sun-dappled forest to create a sensation of calmness and relaxation. Stemma allows the homeowners and guests to experience the outdoors indoors, while maintaining a homely but still dramatic artistic atmosphere, making Stemma a timeless addition to the Lagos residence.

Stemma showcases the exceptional design talent present in South Africa. Looking forward, how do you envision this project positioning One to One for future endeavors, both within the African continent and beyond?

South Africa, recognized internationally for its impressive talent in architecture and interior design, allowed for a good foundation for the creation of the world’s largest residential chandelier. As we embark on our global expansion journey of spreading our philosophy of experiential lighting and making living spaces more convivial, Stemma is a clear representation of One to One’s philosophy and demonstrates how nothing is off-limits and that our vision can be taken anywhere in the world.

Post-project, Stemma has put us in a position where we know our brand is ready to tackle any future challenges presented to us in the foreseeable future and that One to One is confined by no boundaries.