belux History

The Swiss company founded in 1970 initially produced lights for the workshop sector. 10 years later, core business shifted to the development and production of designer lighting for living and working spaces; the production of workshop lights was subsequently dropped.

For the design and development of its light solutions, the company relied from the outset on the principle of experimental innovation and was always ready to take the associated risks. Co-operation with the Swiss designer Hannes Wettstein, who has since died, was ground-breaking, e.g. as the creator of lights like “Snodo” or “Ball”. In 1982, Belux successfully achieved an international breakthrough with “Metro”, the first low-voltage cable system worldwide. Still in the same year, Belux took over the licence for the production of extravagant furniture and objects from the renowned designer group Memphis around Ettore Sottsass and Michele de Lucchi.

In 1984, Belux promoted innovation with an internationally advertised design competition for luminaires. The prominent jury, including Achille Castglioni as well as Trix and Robert Hausmann, evaluated more than 400 concepts from young designers, selecting their favourite “Tubo” as the winner. The desk lamp “Lifto” by Swiss designer Benjamin Thut also originated from the competition. Shortly after, it successfully went into series production at Belux and is now among the lighting classics.

In 1992, Belux initiated the “Private Light” project, as a result of which experimental wall light designs, inter alia by Michele de Lucchi, Danny Lane, Matteo Thun und Ron Arad were created. The designers were portrayed together with their lamps and combined into an internationally much-noticed travelling exhibition.
Belux also found a solution against the real estate crisis in the 90´s. With “Economy”, the first direct/indirect luminaire family for the office was created in 1992. A cost-effective light solution, which, like a piece of furniture, could be linked to the workplace and replaced traditional recessed louvre luminaires.

In 1996, Belux launched the variable light “Updown”, a brilliant design by Reto Schöpfer. With it, the energy-saving fluorescent lamp also established itself in private interiors. “Meter By Meter” by Matteo Thun, with which Belux, for the first time in 2000, configured light individually and sold it by the metre, also set new standards.

In 2001, Belux joined the Vitra Group, which opened up direct contact to further internationally renowned designers to the company. With Frank Gehry, Naoto Fukasawa, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Herzog & de Meuron and Hella Jongerius, remarkable poetic designs like “Cloud”, “Lantern”, “Jingzi” and “Blossom” were created. At the same time, “Twiglight” by John and Samantha Ritschl-Lassoudry, as well as the light sculpture “One By One” from the skilled sculptor Steve Lechot, were developed.

In 2003, the company´s headquarters were relocated from Wohlen (CH) to Birsfelden (CH) in the Vitra premises. Belux increasingly focused on LED technology and converted the successful products “Lifto”, “Ypsilon”, “Twilight” and “Koi” to LED. Thanks to the rigorous use of LED properties, completely new innovative solutions could be found. As a result, “U-Turn” by young designer Michel Charlot and “Verto” by Naoto Fukasawa caused a sensation. “Karo”, “Zirko” and “InLine” were presented for the first time at the Light+Building 2014. All three lights ingeniously use the LED possibilities and each one of them surprises in its own way.

Effective 1 January 2016, Kreon became the new owner of Belux. Kreon develps lighting solutions for the high end architeture market and supplements the range of Belux in a complementary way. Both Belux and Kreon will continue operating as two separate entities.

Thanks to its longtime know-how and its innovative power, Belux impressively succeeds in finding new ways of dealing with light time and time again.