Source: https://www.raak-verlichting.nl/over-raak
Raak was founded in 1954 by Carel O. Lockhorn and is one of the most important Dutch lighting manufacturers of the 20th century. Before launching his business in Amsterdam, Lockhorn had worked on lighting a huge Philips building in Eindhoven (where he later opened a second Raak branch). Raak’s tagline was “Illuminated Architecture” which gave the brand prestige in producing designs that integrate harmoniously with sophisticated, high concept interiors.
Raak’s glass and metal, floor lamps, pendants and wall lamps have an aesthetic that was both elegant and futuristic through high-quality materials with innovative shapes.
In the 1960s Raak started to collaborate with the well-known artist and glass manufacturer Willem van Oyen. While the marriage of art and industry was common in the Netherlands (the lines between the creative professions were often blurred and many artists also worked as designers and vice versa), the results of Van Oyen’s contributions Raak were far from common. Raak promoted Van Oyen’s iconic, handmade Chartres Wall Lights (c.1964) as molten paintings. The series was inspired by the beautiful glass plates of Chartres Cathedral in France.
Raak regularly collaborates with international designers and architects, including E. J. (Evert Jelle) Jelles, Sergio Asti, Bertrand Balas and Nanny Still. Two of Raak’s most celebrated lamps are the cylindrical, metal fugue lamp by Maija-Liisa Komulainen (c.1970) and the super simple, Globe 2000 Floor Lamp by Frank Ligtelijn (1961). After its rapid success, the Globe 2000 was also produced as a hanging lamp and wall lamp. The minimalist design is an excellent example of Raak’s signature style and has become a vintage classic.
