Tobias Grau is of the opinion that the “need for individuality” is increasing, calling for “unconventional and non-commercial” concepts. This doesn’t mean of course that he is lacking in commercial savvy. His first foray as lamp designer was already so successful – immediately crowned by a design award – that he came to the decision to concentrate his energies in this field. The holder of a degree in business administration, who gathered his design experience as an autodidact (including during a stay in the USA), Grau established a company on a Hamburg factory floor in the mid-1980s, first specializing in furniture and interior design. In addition to interiors for fashion stores and offices, he also brought out his first lamp collection at the end of the 1980s. A decade later the rising entrepreneur built an imposing, elongated company headquarters on the outskirts of Hamburg in a striking oval shape, which just three years later already had to be expanded. It was above all the positive reaction to the lowvoltage lighting system Luja in the early days that formed the occasion for building his own brand. Grau, whose company now employs a workforce of about 90, can draw on a long roster of specialists amongst his suppliers, who number in the hundreds. This allows him to enjoy an unusually wide scope when it comes to choosing materials. With development times between one and two years, the designs are marked by a high level of technical refinement and distinctive forms. This can be seen, for example, in the floor and wall lamp George, whose glass body recalls a car headlight, or in the snake-like table lamp Soon. One of the more significant innovations of late is the Go series. The office floor lamp Go Floor captivates with a pared-down look that hardly betrays the power lurking within. It combines stunning design impact with high-performance indirect light. The result of what are actually quite contradictory features is an effective mixed light that is pleasantly diffused throughout the room.