ATMOSPHERE

The concrete boundaries of space seem to dissolve. Mirrored surfaces fade out the real world, supported by audiovisual impressions – occasionally subtle, occasionally powerful. At the centre is a sphere of light switches. The Ippolito Fleitz Group team abstracts the JUNG product world in an artistic way and makes aspects tangible that can hardly be conveyed with words. They create a spatial atmosphere and emotions. ATMOSPHERE, a temporary installation, will plunge visitors into an immersive space where poetry, music and light tell a story of diversity and individuality from 7 to 13 April 2025 as part of the Fuorisalone 2025 in Milan's Brera design district.

The sphere in the centre – the Earth, the Sun or a disco ball? All of them! Surrounded by reflections and mirrored surfaces. On the sphere – hundreds of light switches. The multidisciplinary design team, led by Peter Ippolito, Gunter Fleitz and Tilla Goldberg, has created an abstraction of the JUNG product world that is ingeniously simple in its pictoriality, but which goes far beyond the visible. Excerpts from song lyrics permeate the room as typographic displays and connect to the switches on the sphere. Don’t stop me now. The melody immediately comes to mind. Hello darkness, my old friend. ERCO's lighting concept supports the game of visual perception. Here comes the sun.

Functional switches on the sphere enable interaction. They evoke colours, sounds and projections, so that the space changes with every movement, undergoes constant transformation and enables new facets of spatial experience. The song lyrics add a deeper level to these feelings. They are part of an emotional landscape that awakens memories, evokes feelings and creates an individual atmosphere for each visitor. You are my fire. The viewer finds himself inside the sphere, reflected many times over in kaleidoscopic images.

Individual ATMOSPHERE
In the installation, JUNG's technique merges with the artistic vision of the Ippolito Fleitz Group to create a space that fully unfolds its appeal only through collective interaction and individual reflection. The installation is an invitation to immerse oneself in a world where technology, design and emotion merge. Atmospherically staged with individually designed switches from the new collection JUNG UNIQUE x Ippolito Fleitz Group, presented exclusively in Milan for the first time. ATMOSPHERE stands for common individuality – You´ve got a friend in me. 

Technical ATMOSPHERE
Intelligent building technology is evolving. The systems are becoming increasingly intelligent, and installation and operation increasingly simple. The sphere becomes a place of encounter where the technical solution plays a living role – as an object of perception and as a starting point for a new, innovative approach to space and interactivity. JUNG products no longer display the latest evolutionary steps, but their intelligent functions make a significant contribution to spatial experience in buildings, while retaining the appearance of classic switches and sockets. ATMOSPHERE celebrates progress through technology – Electric Love.

Responsible ATMOSPHERE
Sustainability without the eco-look. The sphere is the perfect symbol for the cycle. As a manufacturer, JUNG is aware of its responsibility towards the environment and people, and with its products is making a contribution to the preservation of living space today, tomorrow and for future generations. ATMOSPHERE's components have been conceived with the idea of the cycle in mind. The installation is deliberately modular and then goes on a journey – to the JUNG showrooms in Paris or London. The choice of materials is reduced, easy to transport and as resource-saving as possible. ATMOSPHERE stands for responsibility – We are the world. 

The ATMOSPHERE installation is a place of encounter, dialogue and reflection. It is not just about seeing or hearing, but about experiencing – the perception of a space that is not only seen from the outside, but continues to resonate within ourselves and in others. The installation creates a small cosmos that invites us to look beyond the visible to understand that we ourselves are part of a larger, infinite cycle. The sphere is a symbol of completeness. In its contemplation lies an invitation to feel, understand and act – in harmony with the atmosphere that surrounds us, in knowledge of the space we share and in awareness of the community that connects us all.

Interview
with Peter Ippolito, Ippolito Fleitz Group and Deniz Turgut, Head of Marketing JUNG

What makes Brera Design Week different from other international design fairs or festivals? And what makes this place so special?

Peter Ippolito, Ippolito Fleitz Group: The Fuorisalone is the annual meeting point of the global design world, and offers the perfect opportunity to follow international developments in the industry. Here you meet everyone who's of interest. It's almost a magical moment that everyone waits for to network again.

Deniz Turgut: For JUNG as an international design brand, participation is a statement: Brera Design Week is our stage where our vision comes to life in the creative interface between technology, design and function. We're happy to be part of this design festival and to be seen in this context.

How does this year's JUNG installation ATMOSPHERE fit into the atmosphere of Milan?

Peter Ippolito: This event is a great celebration for the community. JUNG has chosen a ballet school as the venue. What could be more fitting than surrendering to music in a place like this? With the pop-up installation we celebrate the joy of the product, accompanied by music and movement, presented in the form of an immersive spatial installation. It invites us to experience the product not only functionally, but also playfully and emotionally.

The installation engages visitors interactively. How does that work exactly?

Peter Ippolito: In the middle of the space, which is completely focused on itself, there is a large sphere – hence the name, "Atmosphere". The sphere is versatile and multi-layered – a disco ball, a planet, a large mysterious object? Its surface consists of 720 switches, around 300 of which trigger a function. The object is illuminated and surrounded by intermittent mist. When you walk around the sphere or enter it, you enter the world of JUNG. It's not a passive object, but an interactive one: if you press the switches, you change the space. Projections on the body or wall, changing colours and light moods – all this makes the installation a fascinating experience with the constantly changing number of visitors.

What challenges did you face in realising the central sphere out of hundreds of individually printed JUNG UNIQUE light switches?

Peter Ippolito: The biggest challenge was to make sure that a manufacturer could actually realise it. The switches are not only individually designed, but also trigger many different functions. When you open up the mirrored inner panels of the ball, you can see the enormous effort that went into the cabling, networking and technical setup. We not only had to deal with the aesthetic aspect, but also intensively with control, conception, planning and implementation. This is where JUNG proved its core competence. Good design has been successfully combined with technology and automation in such a way that it looks unobtrusive, works well and meets exhibition requirements.

What criteria were decisive in the selection of materials for the installation, especially with regard to sustainability and reusability?

Peter Ippolito: With our trade fair stands, we place great importance on leaving no waste behind. The same applies here in this space – we have made sure not to form any permanent connection with the space, using only curtains made from a material originally designed for vapour barriers in saunas. The installation can be effortlessly dismantled. Above all, the sphere – the actual exhibition object – will be reused – for future showrooms, installations and pop-up events. We have created an object that will last far beyond Brera Design Week.

Deniz Turgut: The reuse of the modular exhibition was clearly defined in advance in terms of sustainability. ATMOSPHERE will be presented next at Clerkenwell Design Week in London. We have already received enquiries from Poland, Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok and many other countries. ATMOSPHERE's journey has only just begun – and we will continue to tell and develop this story.

How did the cooperation between JUNG and the Ippolito Fleitz Group come about?

Deniz Turgut: We have had a very good working relationship with the Ippolito Fleitz Group for many years. There are many joint projects and Peter Ippolito has been a speaker at the JUNG Architecture Talks several times – for example in Singapore, Warsaw, Hanover, Munich and Stuttgart. This close collaboration led to the idea of working together on the subject of individualisation. The result is the new switch collection JUNG UNIQUE x Ippolito Fleitz Group and in parallel, in collaboration with Tilla Goldberg and Axel Knapp, the brilliant concept and design of ATMOSPHERE. We're very excited to present both here in Milan – the installation and the switch collection. 

What is special about the JUNG UNIQUE x Ippolito Fleitz Group collection?

Peter Ippolito: We are a global studio with international offices. All of us are united by a fundamental enthusiasm for diversity, joy, life and design. The JUNG UNIQUE x Ippolito Fleitz Group switch collection is an expression of this diversity and creative energy that we experience in our studio. At the suggestion of our employees, we used many song lyrics and projected this captured positive mood onto JUNG as a company. With the switch collection, we are now telling the story of the joy of design, the desire for unique experiences and the passion for bringing people together. This is what drives us – to make the world a better place, even in difficult times.

Deniz Turgut: For JUNG it's important to show again and again how creatively and playfully our solutions can be used – be it in artistic exhibition formats or through the special design collections of JUNG UNIQUE. Both give us great pleasure and illustrate the design potential of our products. We are proud to be part of this development – and to be visible where technology and aesthetics meet in an inspiring interplay.