SONNEMAN and Lumens Host 60 Years of Design Innovation

Celebrating 60 years of lighting excellence, SONNEMAN and Lumens invited New York City’s local design community to its showroom at the New York Design Center (NYDC). Laura Walsh, CEO of Lumens, welcomed the audience and introduced a panel between Robert Sonneman, company founder and lighting designer, and Dan Rubinstein, design journalist and host of The Grand Tourist podcast. In commemoration of this landmark anniversary, Sonneman and Rubenstein held a candid conversation around Sonneman’s background, philosophy and predictions around the future of lighting design. 

Sonneman told listeners about his introduction to lighting and modern design at the age of 19 while working at George Kovacs on Madison Avenue. From there, he said, “It clicked.” Sonneman continued working at Kovacs as a student, eventually starting his own company, studying architecture and releasing the highly coveted Orbiter, which was displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Throughout the years, Sonneman tells the audience, the main constant is always Modernism—a philosophy that reverberates throughout his work and life philosophies. “I’ve always identified with the simplicity, functionality and integrity of Modernism. That fascinated me,” he said. Upon the introduction of LED technology, he expanded the application of these ideals, creating lighting systems—Suspenders, Constellation, Ola—that were before unachievable. “Often design is evolutionary, but LED was revolutionary. It changed the world. It changed everything we did,” he said of its introduction.

Finally, Sonneman concluded the interview with musings and advice on teamwork and the creative process. “One of the most important things you do in life and work is the team you surround yourself with. Nobody does anything big alone. It takes others. I think working with the creative team we have is a very great process of exchange.”

Discover SONNEMAN at NYDC today.