Ramulus
Ramulus is a minimalist task lamp created and designed by Brooklyn-based practice Onibi. The lighting object emerges from a fundamental question about adaptability – how a single instrument might serve multiple spatial and perceptual needs without compromising formal clarity. Onibi, a newly established practice, answers this through a design that treats movement not as mechanical adjustment but as integral to the lamp’s character. The result is a lighting tool that oscillates between precision and responsiveness, anchoring its technical complexity in a deliberately restrained material vocabulary.
At the core of Ramulus sits a medical-grade stainless steel telescopic stem, a component borrowed from surgical supply chains where calibrated friction and repeatable positioning are non-negotiable. This choice reveals the studio’s broader methodology – sourcing components from contexts where performance standards exceed typical lighting specifications. The stem does more than adjust height. It establishes the lamp’s defining quality, a trembling elasticity that registers human touch and ambient movement. This responsiveness transforms what could be purely functional articulation into something closer to kinetic presence, a quality rarely pursued in contemporary task lighting.
The dual spherical joints at either end of the stem orchestrate three independent movements. Vertical extension modulates spatial reach and working height. Axial rotation allows reorientation without disturbing the base position. Controlled tilting transitions the light between focused task illumination and diffused ambient glow. These movements compound rather than isolate, enabling fluid adaptation across different contexts – from concentrated workspace to peripheral atmospheric lighting. The central capacitive control node mediates all electronic functions through tap and hold gestures, eliminating discrete switches in favor of continuous dimming control.
The cast iron base provides gravitational stability across the lamp’s full range of motion, its mass counterbalancing the extended cantilever positions. Extruded aluminum shades, available in natural or black anodized finishes, perform dual roles as optical reflectors and thermal management. This heat-sink function is critical for stable LED performance, addressing a persistent challenge in compact, high-output lighting where thermal accumulation degrades both output and color consistency over time.