La Lumière Au Chocolat Is A Visual Feast

I think it’s safe to say that when we flick a light switch, we expect instant light. That’s how it’s been since the beginning of the electric light...right?

Swedish product designer Alexander Lervik has other tasty plans that turn this idea on its head – an incandescent lamp that is completely dark when you switch it on.

Why is it dark when you switch it on? Because it is surrounded by a cut-off pyramid made out of chocolate. The idea then is that the heat from the lamp melts the chocolate, taking a few minutes for the first rays of light to penetrate the sweet exterior.

This imitates light spreading across the horizon at sunrise, with shards of light slowly illuminating the surrounding area.

As part of the Lervik 100 range, it was built in conjunction with Saas Instruments, and was showcased alongside other works at Galleri Kleerup Jacobs torg 3 in Stockholm.

It takes roughly 15 minutes for the chocolate to melt down entirely, after which it solidifies into the tray that the whole unit sits in.

It’s more than just simply the experimentation of a veteran designer – Lervik wanted to explore darkness, as a contrast to light. Even the shape of the lamp came as a result of extensive testing.

“The lamp was initially cube-shaped, but once we determined how chocolate melts together we modified the shape to resemble a cut-off pyramid” said Alexander.

“I find it poetic, with complete darkness at first and then a tiny ray of light penetrates the dark chocolate.”

Obviously only an incandescent bulb would work. LED lights simply don’t generate enough heat to create this effect, and you may find yourself standing around for ages before the chocolate begins to melt.

So LEDs might be better for the environment, but they’re not so good at melting chocolate!

What do you think? Does a chocolate lamp sound delicious or is it just downright silly?

Check the video out below to see La Lumière Au Chocolat in action.