Nebula Urban Lighting System

Nebula
Nebula

In partnership with the Italian lighting manufacturer Neri, SOM has designed a modular lighting system ideally suited to any cityscape or campus. Minimalist and multifunctional, the Nebula collection enhances the public realm with a contemporary and recognizable design.

Project Facts
  • Status Design Complete
  • Design Finish Year 2020
Project Facts
  • Status Design Complete
  • Design Finish Year 2020

A system for illuminating urban environments

Neri has been producing lighting collections with an eye for modern design solutions and technology since 1962. The company’s products can be seen in most Italian cities and 60 countries worldwide.

In 2019, SOM partnered with Neri to develop an outdoor lighting system that can be used in myriad ways, from contemporary urban environments to historic campus landscapes. Launched in 2020, the Nebula collection is manufactured in Italy and can be configured to meet the demands of almost any design brief.

Produced at several scales, the lights add a modern twist to historical settings while animating city streets. Three primary elements—an illuminating bollard, a path light, and a full-height lighting system—are designed to seamlessly integrate a variety of accessories, from banner holders and planters to power sources.

The Nebula collection offers a spectrum of colors and finishes, including the signature Neri gray, pure white, jet black, and moss green.

Nebula

Nebula Venezia: An infinite range of color

SOM has continued to explore new design possibilities for this highly versatile system. In 2023, Neri launched Nebula Venezia, a new luminaire which incorporates LED technology for an expanded range of color. 

The design team took inspiration from the historic lanterns of Venice, which feature rose-colored Murano glass. Nebula Venezia integrates a polychromatic LED within the luminaire head. This allows the light to produce not only the signature rose hue of Venice’s historic lanterns, but also millions of other colors as well as functional and tunable white light. Endlessly adaptable, Nebula Venezia allows for dynamic displays of color to promote an event, holiday, or brand, or to give an identity to a campus.

Much like the original Nebula line, Venezia features a streamlined design that can be incorporated into virtually any urban setting. It is composed of a 4-inch diameter functional luminaire in matte silver encased in a 6-inch diameter scored acrylic cylinder. The polychromatic LED is concealed at the top of the cylinder. Nebula Venezia can also be incorporated into a smart city lighting system. 

The Nebula collection is available worldwide through Neri.

More Projects + Stories