The swarms of garish neon lights that took over between the 1970s and 1980s became the beating heart of our city centers and their peripheries. Now they’ve gone from symbolizing triumphant modernity to representing more of a post-industrial scar. Our views surrounding these eye catching logos have been radically influenced by a greater focus on energy saving, environmental concerns, not to mention the campaigning of different militant groups trying to grapple with nocturnal light pollution.Finnish designers Character seem to have integrated themselves perfectly within this consciousness. They suggest ridding cities of these unappealing scars, in turn transforming them into decorative objects. They get a hold of old store and business lighting panels, taking apart the letters and thus saving them from destruction. They then replace the neon tubing with LEDs, install an electric transformer and a switch to give these anonymous letters a new lease on life.Their well stocked online shop goes to show how successful their recycling efforts have been. You’ll find every letter of the alphabet in different guises and virtually every color imaginable. Despite some bearing great similarity to commercially produced lighting fixtures and lamps you may have come across in interior design stores, Character’s designs can at least attest to a certain amount of originality and a true vintage style.
Advertisement