Lighting technology meets design: Zumtobel and Pininfarina establish a partnership for the future of lighting

Creating innovation together: Zumtobel and Pininfarina announce their partnership at Light + Building 2024. The integrated lighting solutions provider and the Italian design studio andengineering firm are working together to expand the portfolio of Zumtobel’s successful TECTON continuous-row lighting system, with the launch of TECTON II announced for the first quarter of 2025.

Dornbim, 4 March 2024 – Zumtobel and Pininfarina are both well-established companies synonymous with high standards of quality and design, and with innovation and progress. Founded on their shared values and combined design, architecture, industry and technology expertise, the collaboration is focused on expanding and upgrading the TECTON continuous-row lighting system, helping the partners to meet future lighting requirements and to respond to changing customer needs in terms of flexibility, user experience and design.

TECTON - A SUCCESS STORY…

For over 20 years, the modular TECTON product family has been helping buildings of all kinds to shine in top-quality light. The universal trunking system incorporates lighting, controls and emergency/safety lighting, while tool-free installation is a key factor in the TECTON system’s success. A range of different luminaire types, emergency lighting, sensors and other IoT components can be connected via eleven ports. The innovative concept and accompanying digital services from Zumtobel form the basis of a smart building structure and offer huge potential for digital applications in the future.

…CONTINUED Over the last two decades, Zumtobel has continually modernised its successful continuous-row lighting system and equipped it with the latest technologies. Now the new generation of TECTON is ready to go, with Zumtobel bringing prestigious design firm Pininfarina on board as a partner to help. “As we launch the next generation of TECTON, we want to continue offering planners, architects, installers, retailers and end customers industry-leading lighting solutions that are perfectly equipped to meet the requirements of the future,” explains Andreas Fussenegger, Director of Product Management at Zumtobel. TECTON II takes into account users’ need and increased desire for more flexible, user-friendly and intuitive products, individual customisation, modern design, improved sustainability and increased durability. Fussenegger adds: “All the lighting components of the new generation will be backwards-compatible. The TECTON projects are and will always be future-proof. Our expanded range can be used to upgrade existing lighting solutions with the latest technology at any time.”

ZUMTOBEL AND PININFARINA: A PERFECT MATCH

The search for a suitable partner was based on clearly defined criteria. When expanding the TECTON portfolio, Zumtobel wanted a company who shares their brand values with regard to innovation leadership, quality and design requirements. The partner also needed to cover different specialist disciplines, approach the project from a neutral outside-in perspective and to demonstrate ways and means of optimising the user experience. “In Pininfarina, we have gained a partner who fulfils all of these requirements perfectly. The prestigious design firm impressed us across the board, particularly with its forward-looking approach to user experience,” says Alfred Felder, CEO of the Zumtobel Group. “Our collaboration with Pininfarina aligns extremely well with the values and long-term vision of the Zumtobel brand.” A major advantage of the collaboration is that Pininfarina has an extensive, diverse pool of experienced architects and product design specialists at its disposal.

“DEVELOP THE BEST INTO SOMETHING BETTER”

Pininfarina has made a name for itself in the automotive industry thanks to clear design language with high levels of brand recognition. “We are now bringing our ideas and concepts to lighting and architecture. Partnering with Zumtobel allows us to help shape the future of lighting, generate innovation and develop the best into something better,” says Silvio Angori, CEO of Pininfarina Group. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Zumtobel, which has got off to such a constructive and smooth start.” One thing Pininfarina and Zumtobel definitely agree on: the lighting products must be sophisticated and timeless – and remain discreetly in the background. “We want lighting that doesn’t polarise opinion, isn’t a fad and won’t lose its impact, even after five years,” says Andreas Fussenegger.

ABOUT ZUMTOBEL

Our passion is to create quality lighting solutions that deliver total perfection. We are driven by a conviction that the right kind of light can create the right atmosphere in a building at any time of day or night. When tailored to people’s individual needs, light becomes something of an experience. We are always exploring new ways to come up with inimitable and timeless designs and are inspired by a unique creative ambition. When working on the lighting of tomorrow, we are driven by our innovative corporate philosophy of continuously improving the aesthetics of light. With passion, a sense of beauty and a forward-looking approach, we are constantly seeking to use light to help improve people’s quality of life. The Zumtobel brand is part of Zumtobel Group AG, based in Dornbirn in the Vorarlberg region of Austria

ABOUT PININFARINA

An iconic global figure of Italian style, Pininfarina is recognized for its extraordinary ability to create timeless beauty through its values of elegance, purity and innovation. Founded in 1930, Pininfarina has transformed from a craftsman’s company into an international service group, the ultimate expression of automotive style and a consolidated reality in industrial and experiential design, architecture, nautical, and mobility beyond automotive. A group employing 500 people, with offices in Italy, Germany, China, and the United States, and listed on the stock exchange since 1986. Over nine decades, Pininfarina has developed more than 1300 automotive and mobility projects and over 650 projects in product design and architecture, receiving more than 70 international design awards in the last ten years.