zerocollective lights up bar bah in milan with a tailor-made installation

during this years milan design week, zerocollective presented their debut project entitled ‘the light that attracts us : nocturnal animals’. showcased within the intimate setting of bar bah in the city’s isola district, the site-specific installation was inspired by the area’s lively nightlife and has been created to reflect the bar’s unique atmosphere and ‘nocturnal’ patrons.

side view of the installation highlighting the distorted geometry

images © norbert tukaj

the trio, made up of savina radeva, eglė skuodaitė and aleksandra ivanova, created the eye-catching design by utilizing flexible ledkia LED neon tubes to form three circles of varying sizes, resembling the image of a luminous bullseye. upon first entering the bar, the installation appears as a flat piece of art, displayed on only one surface. however, as patrons move into the space, the shape changes and the red neon circles can be seen contorted across several surfaces of the wall. 

a close-up of the installation from the bar

in addition to the neon light installation, zerocollective also designed a backdrop of images depicting the urban landscape of milan. captured by the designers themselves, the photos are slightly distorted to evoke a comic book aesthetic. this background was made by printing the photographs on 3mm dibond panels and finishing them with dichroic film by the italian company adesivi sicurezza. when viewed together, the work as a whole aims to perfectly reflect the dynamic milanese lifestyle and be a fitting tribute to bar bah.

a world of comic books and superheroes is presented in bar bah by the reflective digital prints of isola’s cityscape

view from the intended vantage point – the front door of bar bah – from this angle the installation presents a perfect geometry

view of the selfie photobooth

a view from the bar bah façade

the exterior night view of bar bah from the street

the design team – zerocollective

the location plan showing the distribution of red light

project info:

project name: ‘the light that attracts us : nocturnal animals’ for isola design district, milan design week 2019

project location: bar bah, via lambertenghi 20, isola, milan, italy

design studio: zerocollective

project team: eglė skuodaitė, savina radeva, aleksandra ivanova 

photography: norbert tukaj

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom