Luminous Tile — Philippe Wassenberg

Philippe Wassenberg

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Information

Luminous Tile
Crossing the Alps
Elbe-Mulde-Ultra
Plymouth Journal
Collection of Doors
Sprout
weissraum
Masto
Shirts

Education / CV

Hi! I am Philippe.
An interdisciplinary designer based in Leipzig, working across graphic design, type design, photography, illustration, and material based practice.

I am interested in the way people experience things, both consciously and unconsciously. Therefore, my work is rooted in visual communication and driven by the question of how design can inform, shape perception, and create emotional resonance. Visual impressions, textures, light, sound, and atmosphere all influence how we perceive and use spaces, objects, and images. This is where my work begins. I explore everyday conditions and familiar structures in order to understand their effects and shape them with intention. Rather than limiting myself to a single discipline, I move between different fields and methods depending on what a project requires. What matters is the interaction between different forms of expression and their combined impact. Curiosity is at the core of how I work. I am drawn to experimentation, material exploration, and processes that allow ideas to develop through making. I value clarity, sensitivity, and strong concepts. But I also believe that design should be felt, not only understood.

I studied Integrated Design at Hochschule Anhalt in Dessau and am currently continuing my studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig, where I focus on type design. Beyond my studies, I have worked across academic, practical, and self-initiated contexts, experiences that have influenced both how I think and how I engage with others.

If you want to realise a project or just want to know more, feel free to reach out.
By the way, I am fluent in German, French, and English!

0049 162 9648578
info@philippewassenberg.de
@pifflle

Luminoius Tile (2025)

Bachelors Thesis at Hochschule Anhalt
Supervised by Prof. Katrin Günther
and Maria Volokhova.

Light is a constant in our lives. It structures our day, shapes our states of alertness and rest, creates orientation, atmosphere and a sense of safety. A glance into lit windows on an evening reveals just how naturally and often unconsciously it is used. A single press of a button is enough to flood a room with harsh brightness or bathe it in any number of colours. Technically speaking, light is available at any moment, in varying intensities and colour temperatures. Its effects on the body and mind, however, frequently go unnoticed.

The Light Tile engages with this tension. In its resting state it is dimmed, providing orientation and a quiet sense of security even when a room is otherwise dark. As a person approaches, the light source moves a few centimetres out from its resting position and increases in brightness. As they move away, it draws back and softens once more. The technical mechanism remains hidden; what is perceptible is solely the movement of the light source and the shifting cone of light it casts.

In this way, it reflects the natural rhythm of activation and rest, deploying light deliberately and in response to the moment. The starting point is the tile, one of the oldest architectural elements in existence. As a ceramic tile, the natural resilience of high-fired ceramics makes it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. As a plaster tile, it can be seamlessly set into dry-lined walls, plastered over and painted. In becoming a light source, its role shifts from purely functional building component to an element that actively enters into a relationship with the people around it. The Light Tile is my attempt to bring light back closer to the human, to shape it as a conscious, tangible presence within
a space.

Curious about the process? Watch the production process here.