Arteo Design’s Revolutionary Interpretation of the Punkah
Written by Urban Sherp on September 16th, 2008
Who: Arteo Design/Oliver Kessler; Munich, Germany
What: The Modern Punkah
Where: Contact Oliver Kessler for purchasing information
Why: Ahhhh, I can just feel the gentle breeze of the punkah lulling me to sleep as the blades sway silently back and forth transporting me to distant lands…………and if money were no object, I would certainly invest in the new and improved line of Punkahs from Arteo Design. They range in price from 2.000 – 5.200 Euros, which, with a diminishing US dollar, is a tad bit steep. Nonetheless, this reinvention of the ancient cooling system is really quite ingenius.
Punkahs were first introduced in Arabia in the 8th century. They consisted of a series of vertically hanging ‘blades’ manually operated with a cord to generate a slow fanning motion. Later, motorized versions were developed, but the punkah fell out of fashion with the introduction of the mechanized rotating ceiling fan.
The new and improved punkah, as conceived by Oliver Kessler, may bring it back to the forefront. Kessler saw the beauty of the traditional punkah concept and set out to modernize it. The result gives a nod to the traditional punkah, but is entirely modern in execution with blades of aluminum and plastic and a sleek mounting system, he successfully revolutionized the punkah. The new line maintains the gentle pendular strokes run by a motor that boasts of a power rating of 15w–which is lower than a standard CFL lightbulb and is 80% more efficient than most rotating ceiling fans. It can even be converted to run off of solar power!
The Emerald line is the more economical line, with a slightly louder motor no safety and a higher energy consumption, but does allow for multiple speed settings. Expect to pay 2.000Euros for a 3 Blade Unit. Whereas the higher end, Solitare is silent and also offers varying speed settings. It is highly energy efficient, has a safety stop and may be used in an indoor or outdoor setting. Perfect for outfitting your tropical retreat or modern loft. Expect to pay 1.000Euros/Blade.
Of course, for those of us on a budget, you might want to consider the less pricey line of traditional looking punkahs offered by Fanimation. Unfortunately, no modern blades are available yet.
4
PM
Hi guys,
as an update: The Sapphire and the Emerald punkah are no longer available. They were replaced last year by the “Solitaire” punkah, with one driver powering a single blade. Advantages: No pushrods, therefore easier to mount, soundless, because the pushrods always tended to transport vibrations, safer, since the computer controlled driver switches off automatically in case of blockage. In May 2009 we introduced the “SynchTool “, that allows up to 999 punkahs to be synchronized wirelessly. We can also provide a remote with 3 different speeds. Our blades come with peacock, ostrich, polycarbonate or fabric blades, the later with up to 1,5 sqm size (there you do feel an airflow!). Since we are producing small series and maintain an exquisite quality the price starts at about EUR 5.000,- for a single unit. The company name has also changed to “Oliver Kessler Design”. Please feel free to find more information on “punkah.com”. Thx for featuring the punkah on your site!
Best regards from Germany,
Oliver Kessler