The Island of Møn in Southern Denmark is a certified Dark Sky Community. Now, what is a Dark Sky Community? A Dark Sky Community is a town, city, or community that is exceptionally dedicated to preserving the night sky through various means – such as quality outdoor lighting ordinance, dark sky education, and citizen support of dark skies. The Island of Møn is a famous place for stargazing and is thereby required to maintain extremely low levels of light pollution. And designer Peter Bysted and Danish lighting company Icono have specially designed a light for the island!

Designer: Peter Bysted and Icono

Called Stump, the lighting design is a sturdy light designed to illuminate and light up the outside areas of the Island of Møn. The light was designed specially to combat and reduce light pollution. Featuring the shape of a bollard, the lighting design features an oxidized cast iron body and a transparent cap. The transparent cap includes a warm-toned and low-energy lighting fixture that emits a soft and radiant light when it is being utilized.

The stocky and sturdy base of the light casts interesting and playful shadows throughout the day, while its imposing structure can be used as a stool for people to lean on. So you can either get some support from Stump, or you can look at the sunlight striking against the design’s curvy and organic shape. “Stump’s emission of light is non-blinding and dedicated to illuminating parks and paths – just enough to ensure safety,” said Icono. So, Stump successfully illuminates the space it is placed in while ensuring it doesn’t cause any kind of light pollution.

It was designed to blend harmoniously with the outdoors and work well in both private and public outdoor spaces. It is excellent for providing light on pathways. Bysted designed Stump to reinforce the space it is placed in, rather than dominating it. It is meant to create a context with the environment. Stump Bollard won the “Best Outdoor Lighting of the Year” at the 2022 Prize Designs for Modern Furniture + Lighting from Global Design News and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.