SDA 24 in Multi-Light Pendant | Blackjack Lighting

SDA is a study in verticality. Nine tall, needle-thin cones, each 36 inches long and only an inch across, hang side by side from a 24-inch square canopy, all ending at the same level. From a distance they read as a dense bundle of fine strokes, a column of lines that draws the eye up through the room.

The shape suits high spaces: a double-height living room, a stairwell, a lobby or a restaurant with a tall ceiling, where the long cones fill vertical space without adding visual weight. At the bottom of each cone a small point of light opens downward, so the fixture glows as a tight grid of nine soft dots, 1215 lumens at a 90 CRI in total, more an atmospheric accent than a floodlight. The faceplate and sockets come in Matte Black, Polished Chrome or White, and that choice decides how strongly the lines read against the ceiling.

Design notes

• Vertical lines: nine tall cones 36 in (91.5 cm) long and 1 in (2.54 cm) across, hung to one level from a 24 in square canopy.
• Order in the cluster: all nine pendants hang to one level, pre-set to 72 in and field adjustable from 37 in to 140 in.
• Quality of light: 27 W of integrated LED, 1215 lumens at 3000K with a 90 CRI.
• Hidden driver: integral in the canopy, with universal dimming on TRIAC, ELV and 0-10V.
• Three finishes: Matte Black, Polished Chrome or White faceplate and sockets; White comes with a white backplate, the others with black.

Specifications

Downloads

• SDA specification sheet (PDF)
• SDA installation instructions (PDF)

Stephen Blackman and Blackjack Lighting

Blackjack Lighting is the studio of industrial designer Stephen Blackman, its President and Chief Design Officer. Trained in industrial design at Syracuse University, Blackman began his lighting career in 1984 at Sonneman Design Group, then founded Blackman Design Associates in 1988, designing decorative and architectural lighting for manufacturers including Kichler. He launched Blackjack in 2013 in suburban Chicago, now based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, to build fixtures conceived for LED from the first sketch.

His argument is that the LED should change the shape of a light, not just its efficiency. Rather than hiding a new source inside old bulb-and-shade forms, Blackjack designs around the small, flat, cool-running LED: thin discs, slim rods, glowing rings and lenses that let the light itself become the object. In his own words, "Decorative lighting by its nature is not primarily about optimizing lamp efficiency, it is primarily about decoration!" SDA stretches the LED into its slimmest possible housing, a long fine cone that becomes almost pure line.

Questions

What is the design idea behind SDA?

Height expressed as line. Nine long, very slim cones hang together as a vertical bundle, ending in a level grid of small points of light.

Who is behind Blackjack Lighting?

Industrial designer Stephen Blackman, President and Chief Design Officer, who has designed lighting since 1984 and founded Blackjack in 2013 to make LED-native fixtures.

Which finish should I choose?

Matte Black gives the strongest silhouette against a pale ceiling; Polished Chrome reflects its surroundings and suits glossy kitchens and hospitality spaces; White, with its white backplate, is the softest and most architectural.

How bright is it, and how is it controlled?

1215 lumens from 27 W of integrated LED at 3000K and 90 CRI. The driver sits in the canopy and dims on TRIAC, ELV and 0-10V controls.

What warranty does it carry?

Three years on the integrated LED source and LED power supply, and one year on materials and workmanship, for the original buyer in the US and Canada.