Spiral Pendant Light: Dune Spiral Guide | MOSS

A spiral pendant light solves a specific problem: how to give a tall or open volume a luminaire that reads correctly from below, from the side and from an upper floor. Dune Spiral is the MOSS answer to that brief. It is one of five configurations of the Dune modular luminaire, built from the same formed aluminium shades and connectors as every other Dune, arranged so that the line of shades turns through space instead of running along a single plane.

This guide is written for interior architects and specifiers who are considering a spiral form for a lobby, stair void, restaurant or residential double-height space. It covers how the configuration is built, what the six sizes measure, how suspension and cabling are planned, which finishes are available and where the form tends to work best.

How a Spiral Pendant Light Is Built in the Dune System

Every Dune is assembled from the same set of components. The shades are formed from aluminium sheet and carry polycarbonate diffusers. Between each pair of shades sits a CNC-machined aluminium connector, chemically polished, which holds two LEDs. The connectors do two jobs at once: they carry the light source and they hold the luminaire together structurally. The light therefore sits in the joints, not inside the shades, and the shades act as reflectors that shape and soften it.

Because the components are shared, the number in the name is simply the number of shades, and the LED count follows directly from it: two LEDs per connector, one connector fewer than the number of shades. A Dune 10 Spiral has nine connectors and eighteen LEDs.

What makes the Spiral configuration distinct is the path the shades take. In a Curve the line stays relatively flat. In a Vertical Line it drops as a single column. In a Spiral the shades are joined with 50 cm connecting cables and suspended at different heights so that the sequence rises and turns as it travels. Modular segments create continuous curves, and the result is a luminaire with depth in plan as well as height in section, which changes its outline as you walk around it. The geometry follows the slow logic of natural formation, translated into a sequence of repeated, engineered parts. It adapts in height, length and direction, which is why the same system can be scaled from a compact six-shade form over a table to a twenty-shade form travelling through an atrium.

Dune was designed by Daniel Becker and Elisa Bakaniev, received the iF Design Award in 2025 and is handmade in Germany. For an overview of all five configurations side by side, see the Dune system post.

Dune Spiral Sizes: Reading the Six Spec Sheets

Dune Spiral is available in six sizes: 6, 8, 10, 12, 16 and 20 shades. The heights below are taken from the current spec sheets and describe the body of the luminaire, not the suspension length below the ceiling.

Dune 6 Spiral: body height 48 cm, footprint approximately 73 × 70 cm. Dune 8 Spiral: 80 cm, approximately 75 × 68 cm. Dune 10 Spiral: 130 cm, approximately 100 × 72 cm. Dune 12 Spiral: 130 cm, approximately 125 × 68 cm.

Dune 16 Spiral: body height 105 cm, footprint approximately 162 × 100 cm. Dune 20 Spiral: 143 cm, approximately 272 × 100 cm.

Two points are worth noting when choosing a size. First, height does not rise in step with shade count. The 10 and 12 share the same body height; the 12 gains length rather than height. Second, the 16 and 20 are a different proportion altogether. They are wider in plan than the smaller sizes, the 16 is lower than the 10 and 12, and both hang from two canopies instead of one. In practice the 6 and 8 behave as compact objects over a table or in a modest void, the 10 and 12 as vertical elements for double-height spaces, and the 16 and 20 as long, travelling forms for larger atria and lobbies.

For drawing, always work from the spec sheet of the specific model. Each sheet carries the dimensions, canopy information, light output and packaging data, and the product pages for Dune 6 Spiral, Dune 10 Spiral and Dune 20 Spiral link to the drawings.

Suspension, Canopy and Cable Planning for a Spiral Pendant Light

A spiral pendant light hangs from several points, and planning those points early avoids most site issues. Each Dune is suspended on a combination of SELV coaxial cable and 0.8 mm steel wire. The coaxial cable carries low-voltage power to the connectors; the wire carries load. Sizes 6 to 12 use one canopy, while Dune 16 and Dune 20 use two, one for each chain of shades.

The canopy is always one of the suspension points, because it contains the anchor for a suspension wire. It cannot be placed freely between suspension points, but it can be moved to any of the luminaire's suspension points. Where a project has a fixed junction box or a central outlet, the canopy is assigned to one of the central suspension points so that the remaining points are fixed around it. It is worth marking the junction box position on the reflected ceiling plan before the order is placed, so the canopy assignment can be confirmed with the drawings.

The standard supply cable from the canopy is 300 cm. Cables can be shortened on site by the electrician to set the final drop, so the standard length covers most ceiling heights. Where a project needs a longer suspension, for example in a stair void of three storeys, longer cables are supplied to order as a separate line item. Agreeing the finished height of the lowest shade at specification stage makes this straightforward.

Driver selection follows the project location: TRIAC dimming is the European standard, 0-10 V or 1-10 V is standard for 110 V markets in the US, and DALI is available as an option. The driver is confirmed with the order so that it matches the building's control system.

Finishes and Light Output

Dune Spiral is offered in the same five finishes as the rest of the Dune collection, produced with two different processes. Silver Anodised is anodised aluminium and is the stocked finish. Silver Polished is mechanically polished, uncoated aluminium. Gold Tone, Copper Tone and Dark Bronze Tone are lacquered aluminium, built up in several coats with intermediate sanding.

The difference between the processes is visible. The anodised surface stays close to the metal, with a fine, even reflection. The lacquered tones have more depth and a slightly softer reflection, which suits warm interiors with timber, stone or textile. Silver Anodised is held in stock; all other finishes are made to order, which matters on tight programmes. Samples show the real process: a silver sample is anodised, a gold, copper or bronze sample is lacquered.

Each LED is rated at 2.1 W and 260 lm at 2700K. Total output scales with size: 2,600 lm for the Dune 6 Spiral, 3,640 lm for the 8, 4,680 lm for the 10, 5,720 lm for the 12, 7,800 lm for the 16 and 9,880 lm for the 20. Because the light sources sit in the connectors and spread along the whole path of the spiral, the output is distributed through the volume rather than concentrated at one point. In a stair void or atrium this means each level receives light from the part of the luminaire closest to it.

Two-tone combinations such as a canopy in one tone and shades in another, and custom lacquer colours are possible as project configurations. They are priced and scheduled separately and confirmed with samples.

Where a Spiral Pendant Light Works in a Project

The form is most useful where the luminaire is seen from more than one position. Double-height living rooms, galleried stair halls, hotel lobbies with a mezzanine and restaurant voids all give the viewer a changing angle, and a spiral uses that movement. Seen from the entrance it reads as a vertical line; from the gallery it reads in plan. Dune Spiral is an object scaled to architectural space, and that is the right test for size: the spiral should relate to the volume of the room, not only to the furniture below it.

A few practical rules help. In a stair void, align the axis of the spiral with the centre of the void rather than the handrail, so the shades keep a consistent distance from the stair on every side. Over a dining or reception table, the compact 6 and 8 hold their outline without filling the space above eye level. In a lobby, the 16 and 20 can follow the long direction of the room, which their wider footprint supports.

Draw the luminaire in section as well as in plan. Because the shades sit at different heights, the lowest shade sets the clearance and the upper shades set how the fitting reads from above. Agreeing both heights with the client early avoids adjustments on site. It also helps to check sightlines from upper floors, where the spiral is seen from above and the inner faces of the shades and the connectors become visible.

Dune Spiral also combines well with other Dune configurations in the same project, because the shades, connectors and finishes are identical. A spiral in the stair void and a Curve over the dining table, for example, share material and detailing while answering different spatial conditions. For vertical alternatives, see our guide to the vertical pendant light.

For dimensions, configurations and finish details across the whole collection, see the Dune pendant light guide or open the Dune 10 Spiral product page.

For full specifications, drawings and finish samples of the Dune Spiral range, or to discuss a configuration for a specific project, contact MOSS Objects directly.