The founder of eponymous lighting brand Wästberg shares more about the beginnings of his firm and his passion for lighting
For Magnus Wästberg, good lighting design goes beyond the mere appearance of the lamp. It takes into account the interplay of light and shadow, as well as the users’ needs—Wästberg describes lighting fixtures as modern-day fires that humans should be able to control to create comfortable lighting spheres for specific activities rather than succumb to default ceiling solutions.
He started his eponymous Swedish company in 2008 to address this. Much time is invested in each and every piece in the collection, created in collaboration with the best designers of today, the likes of celebrated British architect John Pawson, Oki Sato of Nendo from Japan and French designer Inga Sempé.
Each lamp poetically addresses the relationship between people and light, and is attuned to how aspects such as technology are intertwined with our everyday habits. His ethos is to put human needs in the centre of his work rather than just make beautiful or technically advanced lighting fixtures. Here, he tells us about his career and thoughts on making good lights.
See also: 7 Lighting Pieces For The Minimalist
Was your father’s lighting company a huge influence?
Magnus Wästberg (MW) Yes, I grew up in the lighting industry but I wouldn’t say it was lighting that intrigued me as a kid. Rather, it was the product-development process and manufacturing activity that interested me. I remember going with my father on our vacations through Europe visiting various production sites and attending meetings with designers, while my mother and sister would go shopping or sightseeing. One year, you would see him and his colleagues drawing and discussing; and the next year, they would have a ready product or prototype.
Did you always want to work in the lighting industry?
MW I decided at an early age not to work in the family business. It was sold, and then my father started another company. I studied business administration and went on to become a management consultant but very quickly, I understood that this was not the world for me as my biggest interests were architecture, furniture and lighting; so I joined my father with the ambition of starting my own company at some point. Then, 10 years ago, I had what I thought were relevant ideas and started Wästberg.