Ross Gardam introduces Liminal, a linear pendant light made in Melbourne
Ross Gardam has introduced Liminal, a linear pendant light designed and manufactured in Melbourne. Suspended with a restrained horizontal profile, the fixture occupies a space between lighting object and architectural element. The fixture is held by three central support rods, giving the long horizontal body a carefully balanced appearance while keeping its structure visually restrained. Available in brass or aluminium, Liminal places emphasis on proportion, precision and surface finish, allowing the pendant to occupy space without overwhelming the architecture around it.
The pendant is defined by a slim floating silhouette and a modular lap-joint detail that runs through its side profile. Paralleling how Studio 5•5 turns Schneider Electric’s Odace system into functional collection through modular component assemblies, this connection gives the fixture a clear architectural character while also revealing part of its construction. Instead of concealing how the individual elements meet, Ross Gardam uses the joint as a deliberate visual feature. The brass and aluminium components are finished with the level of precision associated with the studio’s locally manufactured lighting, keeping the form minimal enough for the detailing and material quality to remain visible.
Liminal combines uplight and downlight within the same linear fixture, with both sources controlled independently. This allows the pendant to provide direct illumination below while sending softer light towards the ceiling, making it possible to adjust the atmosphere according to the space and time of day. The dual-lighting system also gives architects and interior designers greater control over how the fixture interacts with surrounding surfaces. Offered in five lengths and eleven standard finishes, the design can be adapted to dining areas, hospitality interiors, workplaces and larger architectural settings while retaining the same proportions and visual language, engaging with Melbourne’s rich hospitality design scene where Dion Hall designs illuminated menu board for Supernormal in Melbourne.
Ross Gardam develops its lighting through a close relationship between design, engineering and fabrication, with each stage handled through the studio’s Melbourne-based production network. For Liminal, that process is visible in the precision of the metalwork, the modular jointing and the controlled integration of the lighting components. Brass and aluminium are treated as both structural and visual materials, while the restrained geometry leaves little room for imprecision in fabrication or finishing.
Durability and material efficiency are also central to the way the studio approaches production. Ross Gardam develops products with long-term use in mind and applies product stewardship principles across manufacturing and life-cycle management. Its lighting uses contemporary energy-efficient technologies, while the company’s Melbourne studio is certified low-carbon through the Carbon Reduction Institute. These measures sit alongside a broader commitment to reducing waste and selecting materials that can support both performance and longevity, celebrating tactile materiality and sculptural illumination akin to how KAIA debuts ‘Beneath the Surface’ furniture collection by Pauline Leprince.
With Liminal, Ross Gardam reduces the pendant light to a controlled sequence of structure, surface and illumination. The design avoids unnecessary visual complexity, using its suspended geometry, precise joints and independently controlled light sources to create depth within a relatively simple profile. In a similar exploration of atmospheric radiance and sculptural material presence, Sabine Marcelis creates Totem Lights with cast resins to modulate translucency and spatial warmth, while Moono sliding pendant light introduces tactile lighting design through kinetic adjustability and refined materiality. Its ability to operate as both task lighting and atmospheric illumination gives the fixture a practical role, while the careful detailing allows it to function as a quiet architectural presence within the interior.
All images courtesy of Ross Gardam, shared with permission
