Putting the Red Dot on PLAZA Si

We’re thrilled to announce that our PLAZA Si has won the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020.

This prestigious accolade dates back to 1955 and, true to its motto of ‘In search of good design and innovation’, recognises the best designs globally. The jury of 36 experts judge products on everything from the degree of innovation, functionality and ergonomics to quality, durability and ecological compatibility.

This international panel only award this sought-after seal of quality to products that feature an outstanding design. The first Red Dot awarded to an acdc product, it’s testament to both the PLAZA Si’s visual aesthetic and cutting-edge technology within.

acdc’s Head of Product Management Adam Carmichael said, ‘Winning the Red Dot Award is great recognition of what we’ve been doing over the past 18 months to update our portfolio with products that bring truly innovative solutions to the market and our customers. When you see the Red Dot label – you know that a product goes above and beyond in terms of look, feel and function, so we’re ecstatic that our PLAZA Si has achieved this, positioning us as an innovative industry leader in technology and design.’

Like everything here at acdc, the development of the PLAZA Si (the ideal solution for façade lighting) was very much a team effort. Senior Product Design Engineer Matt Ince, NPD Manager Thom Gorrell and Senior Technical Manager Matt Earnshaw were at the forefront of its creation:

‘Design consistency is key when we create our luminaires,’ Matt Ince explained. ‘And I wanted to develop a product that was simple, sophisticated and – a word we used throughout the design process – monolithic. I took inspiration from the 2001; A Space Odyssey film which stars these featureless, mysterious, technologically advanced stone-like machines. The concept of these monoliths (rather than their form) is echoed in the design of the PLAZA Si.’

A similar approach went into PLAZA Si’s tech. ‘We worked really closely with technology solution provider Eulum to bring something new to the industry,’ said Matt Earnshaw. ‘One example of that is the electrical rather than mechanical changing of the beam angle.’

The one that won it
The PLAZA that we sent for judging was the S30i model which delivers 3000 lumens and has an integral driver. It’s dynamic white, features the 5D lens to dim and shape the beam angle from 12 to 50 degrees (using Bluetooth) and is housed in black casing with an IP rating of 66.

We’re really proud that the Red Dot label can now be used alongside the PLAZA Si for its whole lifecycle – a permanent symbol of its quality. Additionally, our surface mount adjustable spotlight will feature in the Red Dot Design Yearbook and online and offline exhibitions, including ‘Design on Stage’ at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen.

If you want to know more about our (award-winning!) PLAZA Si, head over to our website where we’ve got videos, images and all the facts and figures you might need. While you’re there – check out the Towneley Hall case study to see how we used PLAZA Si to illuminate a 14^th century historic house.

acdc press contact:
Jessica Dixon
Marketing and Communications Manager
Email: [email protected]