Originally conceived as a collection of pendants, with sculptural glass shades suspended in linear and intersecting formations, Magnus now finds a life beyond the ceiling.
The new Magnus Portable Light takes the familiar silhouette and gives it the freedom to move. Behind this evolution lies a detail that was part of the original design all along.
The origin of a shape
Magnus takes its inspiration from the fluidity of molten glass. Its name, a nod to magma, hints at the heat and movement involved in its making.
Fresh from the crucible, molten glass has something of the consistency of honey: hot, viscous and responsive to the glassblower's movements.
At our Oxfordshire glassworks, our makers gather the material in layers, roll it and then blow the glass into a mould. The resulting shade has a gently compressed, rounded profile, narrowing at its neck into a distinctive raised rib.
In the original pendants, this rib serves a practical purpose. It allows the opal glass shade to rest within its black bronze frame, as though the glass were being gently clasped.
When developing the portable version, the design team recognised an opportunity.
Rather than altering the shade to accommodate a handle, they could make use of the existing form. A black bronze collar embraces the same narrow section, providing the attachment point for an elegantly arched handle.
What began as a solution for suspending glass had found an entirely new purpose.
"The challenge was to make it portable without losing what makes Magnus, Magnus,"
explains Charlie Bowles, Director of Original BTC."Once we looked at the way the original frame holds the glass, the answer was fairly obvious. We could use that same detail for the handle.
I also love the weight of it. There's something very satisfying about picking up a light that feels so substantial."
The pleasure of glass
That sense of substance is central to Magnus's character.
Each shade is mouth-blown from three layers of glass, with opal sandwiched between two layers of clear glass. The opal diffuses the warm-white LED light evenly, while the outer clear layer gives the surface its distinctive gloss, catching reflections even when the light is switched off.
The contrast between materials is equally considered. The dark, precise lines of the black bronze handle frame the generous curves of the glass, introducing structure without diminishing its inviting character.
It is a pleasingly substantial object, as much a piece of design to appreciate in daylight as a source of illumination after dark.
Made to move
Of course, portability changes how we live with light.
Magnus can move from a bedside table to a reading corner, accompany dinner and follow the conversation onto the terrace.
With three brightness settings, its warm-white LED illumination adapts to the occasion, while a rechargeable base and discreet USB-C port make everyday use straightforward.
A full charge provides around seven hours of illumination at its brightest setting, extending to 20 hours at its lowest. An IP44 rating makes Magnus suitable for use both indoors and out.
These practicalities are deliberately unobtrusive. The technology does its job without demanding attention, leaving the materials and form to speak for themselves.
For a design born from molten glass, Magnus has proved surprisingly adaptable. Originally designed to be held in a frame, it can now be held in the hand.
