Just like many other ideas and works of art, ‘le Nuage’ started as a stroke of luck. During the creation of a completely different object which involves copper, a piece of white insulation material fell on the object. The light shone through the red copper and hit the insulation. It was a remarkable sight to see. Wout thought it was reminiscent of the setting sun. He reworked the light and shaped the cloud on the spot; ‘le Nuage’ was born. It would hang in the workshop for a few months before this prototype got reproduced on a bigger scale.
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- One of the first experiments.
After making several cloudlights for different individuals, ‘The Dutch Design Hotel’ in Amsterdam got wind of ‘le Nuage’. They hosted an exhibition which involved several light objects from sizes between two and three meters (8.2 ft.) long, in the main hall. This was the first of a series of big projects, where ‘le Nuage’ was used for.
’23 Marina’
Because of this breakthrough on a national level, the pendant was on the radar of a variety of design agencies, architects and blogs around the world. The recognition for the cloudlight created the opportunity to promote ‘le Nuage’ overseas. One of the most noteworthy assignments recieved so far, is a lightobject created to hang on the top floor of the ‘23 Marina’ in Dubai. The owner of the near-400-meter-high skyscraper, who resides on the top floors of the building, wanted a lightobject that would match the stature of the prominent building. Wout was approached to provide a version of ‘le Nuage’ that would enrich the space.
It’s the biggest cloudlight made thus far and has a staggering length of six and a half meters (21ft.) long. Wout was asked to come to Dubai to assemble the object on location.
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- The building in the centre is the ’23 Marina’
Coincidentally, just roughly twenty kilometers farther down the coastline, preparations for a different project started. The ‘Emirates Financial Towers’ are connected via a massive glass skybridge, which contains, among other things, a restaurant. This was the location for an earlier acquired assignment. Eight versions of ‘le Nuage’, roughly three meters (9.8 ft.) long each, are hanging in what may be one of the most appropriate places for a cloudlight to be hanging.
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- Just after being installed.
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- Ready for transport to Dubai.
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- Skybridge ‘Emerate Financial Towers’
New adaptations
The projects in Dubai (among many others) helped the cloudlight to leave its mark on the international map. Publications in countless small and renowned blogs, several art books and newspapers like ‘The New York Times’ followed in the upcoming years. ‘Le Nuage’ has been around for thirteen years and is still in progress. Wout is working on new adaptations of the design. He continually asks himself questions about materials, sustainability and functionality. At the moment he is exploring the option of using sheep wool. He is embarking on a new and exciting journey with new challenges and possible directions, however we are not even close to the end of the incredible journey that is called ‘le Nuage’.
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- Cloud-light’Le Nuage’ sheep wool 1
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- ‘Le Nuage’ sheep wool 2
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- Other angle of the cloud-light
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