Like A Suspended Pearl – Metropol by Rakumba

In collaboration with German designer Sebastian Herkner, Rakumba’s Metropol sees a modular collection of simple and subtle gestures come together as an expression of form and light. Imagined imitating a pearl hanging from a thread, the many configurations offer a dynamism to these sculptural luminaries.

Conceived as a collection, the centre from which all the other elements pivot is the frosted luminary on the slightest of supports that mirrors a pearl hung from a string. Metropol is a collection that evolves from this initial form into its many iterations, where clusters of hanging lamps and wall fixed elements can either stand alone or be configured in any space. Designed by German designer Sebastian Herkner, the collection mixes a linear elegance with simplicity that could then be transferred into a variety of curated assemblages. The release sees original imagery created by Alex Christodoulou Studio express an imaged and inviting world populated by the Metropol collection and explores a series of variations. Rakumba’s fascination with considered investigation and continual design development results in this collaboration of inimitable interest.

In describing the collaboration, Sebastian says, “it was really a dialogue. And I think this is very important in design and design process. There’s the dialogue between the sketch and myself, then I have to dialogue with my team, and my team with the computer. Then there’s the conversation between myself and my client – Rakumba.” At a time when many industries are learning the benefits of global connectivity, this too was the result of an international cross-border partnership. Sebastian adds, “this is my first collaboration with a company Down Under. Even though we have that huge distance between our studios (mine is based in Offenbach), the collaboration was close and intense. We met at the beginning in Milan and then in Melbourne, shared phone calls to discuss details and finishes, and exchanged late night WhatsApp messages with images of prototypes.”

A collection steeped in heightened sophistication, the elements that comprise the pieces speak to a well-honed process. Sebastian describes the collection as “simple, elegant, sophisticated, functional, modular” and one that alludes to a conversation not just between designer and maker, but between the object and the person using it. He says, “there is always a conversation in how people interpret the product. I think this dialogue is very fascinating and I think, through Metropol, Rakumba and I have found a nice story together. What I think is really fascinating in the design is that there are many possibilities for arranging it. From a minimal wall version to a pendant, to the iconic grandeur of the chandelier setting.”

Referencing natural botanical silhouettes and patterns, Metropol uses curves found in nature and reinterprets them into a crafted light source. Together with Sebastian Herkner, Rakumba has imagined a collection that captures light and plays with it in its own diffused way, while adding sculpturally to the space. The modularity then invites the user and designer to engage with the piece and, in doing so, continue the conversation.