A modern, Nordic take on the traditional Japanese rice paper lantern, Danish studio and Minimalissimo favourite Norm Architects have designed the Harshira Collection for long-term producer, MENU. A fusion of East and West, tradition and modernity, and a perfect balance of aesthetics and proportion and simplicity and character, Hashira is a new collection of floor, table, and pendant lamps for modern spaces.

Norm’s pared-back design of the collection takes its cues from visits to traditional Japanese Washi papermakers and its name from the Japanese word for column or pillar. The translucent fabric shade not only acts as a diffuser, projecting the light in multiple directions while creating a cosy, glare-free ambience, it also adds palpable appeal that enhances the softness of an interior—acoustically as well as tactilely.

Drawing on minimalist sensibilities and shaped from the basic geometric form in architecture, the slender Hashira Table Lamp is set on a wooden base that underpins the minimalist expression and is visible through the translucent fabric shade that softly diffuses the light in multiple directions. The Hashira Cluster—a trio of pendants suspended from a black textile cord—is offered in two sizes (small and large) that lend themselves to any setting thanks to its simple design and natural materials, and the collection’s single Pendant Light, available in two sizes, is created with the same column-like shape as the floor and table lamps to fill spaces with cosy, ambient light, creating an ambience that exudes soft minimalism. Norm tells us:

Spreading ambient light in a room, the Hashira Collection makes for purposeful lighting above a dining table, in a reception area or on a table in a hotel bedroom, bringing a sense of understated luxury and purpose to interior spaces.

Norm Architects—led by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Kasper Rønn—regularly collaborates with MENU, helping to drive the evolution of the brand and its product offerings. Norm Architects’ name reflects the group’s emphasis on the importance of drawing inspiration from norms and traditions within architecture and design—particularly the Scandinavian design principles of timeless aesthetics and natural materials, and the modernist values of restraint and refinement.