INN is a portable lamp designed for a specific location. The chosen site is “Bistrot”, where people go and drink or eat casually. The main idea behind this lamp is to create a calm and relaxed ambience through the effect of light.

The project is inspired by the book “In Praise of Shadow” by the Japanese writer Junichiro Tanizaki. In this book, Tanizaki talks about how the sense of Japanese beauty developed with the influence of shadows. He wrote, “it has come to be that the beauty of a Japanese room depends on a variation of shadows, heavy shadows against light shadows-... we extend the eaves or build on a veranda, putting the sunlight at still greater a remove. The light from the garden stakes in but dimly through paper-panel doors (Shoji paper), and it is precisely this indirect light that makes for us the charm of a room.”

The crucial idea is to focus on the reflected and diffused light using this perspective for conceiving beauty. Through experimentation with reflected light, any object can be perceived more softly and gently. This also applies to people’s faces; as such a soft light arises, calm can inspire relaxed feelings. By playing with the reflected (indirect) light, the shape of the reflective surface allows for the creation of narrative and emotional values.

Lastly, reflected light makes it easier for the lamp to brighten only its table with a soft light that won’t disturb the surroundings. This light won’t modify the general atmosphere of the ambience, and thanks to the reflector, the face area will be softly lit as well. These aspects give each table a unique atmosphere.