KHOFO Lighting Design: Fractured Geometry as Architectural Lighting Design

Architectural lighting design is no longer limited to illumination alone: it has evolved into a medium that shapes perception, movement, and emotional engagement within interior spaces. The KHOFO Lighting Design project explores this expanded role of lighting by merging interior lighting with graphic poster design, creating a unified visual and spatial language. Conceived as both an object and an idea, KHOFO challenges the stability of conventional geometry and invites the observer to experience light through multiple points of view.

Designed by Nastaran Radmanesh and Saman Khosravi of Leto Design Studio, KHOFO stands at the intersection of architectural lighting design, sculpture, and visual communication.

Concept: Fracture as a Design Language

At the core of KHOFO lies the concept of fracture, a deliberate breaking down of original geometric order. Instead of presenting a perfect, resolved form, the design disrupts linearity and symmetry. These fractures are not destructive; they are generative. By dismantling a base geometric logic, the object re-emerges with renewed confidence and clarity.

This approach positions KHOFO as both pro-establishment and anti-establishment. It acknowledges classical geometric discipline while simultaneously challenging its authority. The fractured lines sharpen perspective, disrupt uniformity, and transform static viewing into an active process of discovery.

Architectural Lighting Design as an Experiential Object

KHOFO is conceived as a sculptural lighting element, almost like a small architectural statue placed within an interior. Its sharp edges and angular surfaces compel the eye to move continuously around the object. There is no single privileged viewpoint. Instead, understanding the form requires motion, time, and engagement.

This quality aligns strongly with contemporary architectural lighting design, where light fixtures act as spatial markers rather than background utilities. KHOFO becomes a focal point, an object that communicates ideas while performing its functional role of illumination.

Materiality and Craft

Material selection plays a critical role in reinforcing the conceptual intent of the project. The lamp combines:

• Walnut wood, introducing warmth, tactility, and natural grain
• Brass elements, adding precision, refinement, and structural clarity
• Fabric surfaces, softening light diffusion and enhancing contrast with the rigid geometry

The juxtaposition of soft and hard, warm and sharp, solid and translucent reinforces the narrative of fracture and reassembly. Each material is left honest and visible, allowing users to read the construction rather than conceal it.

Dimensions and Adaptability

The KHOFO lighting object is designed at an intimate interior scale, making it suitable for residential, gallery, and studio environments. Its proportions balance presence and subtlety, ensuring it commands attention without overwhelming the space.

The design also explores three alternative shade configurations, each offering a slightly different visual rhythm and lighting effect. This adaptability supports the idea that perception shifts with form, and that no single version holds absolute authority.

Dialogue Between Lighting and Graphic Design

An essential layer of the project is the parallel development of a poster artwork that mirrors the lighting object’s conceptual framework. The poster features fractured outlines and overlapping perspectives, accompanied by the statement:

“For a precise cognition, you need more than one point of view.”

Displayed alongside the lighting object, the poster reinforces the philosophical foundation of the project. Together, they form a cohesive installation where architectural lighting design and graphic communication operate as one system.

Multiple Points of View

KHOFO resists instant comprehension. Its form cannot be fully understood from a single angle, echoing the complexities of contemporary spatial experience. This insistence on multiple viewpoints transforms the user from a passive observer into an active participant.

In architectural lighting design, this approach challenges the idea of fixed meaning. Instead, meaning unfolds through movement, interaction, and time, qualities that are increasingly central to spatial design today.

The KHOFO Lighting Design project demonstrates how architectural lighting design can move beyond function to become a carrier of ideas. Through fractured geometry, material honesty, and a dialogue between object and image, KHOFO offers a thoughtful exploration of perception, cognition, and spatial engagement.

Rather than providing answers, it invites questions: reminding us that understanding space, light, and form often requires more than one point of view.