We use cookies on this site to enhance your experience. Find out more here.Established as a brand in 2012 in Porto, O/M's origins can be found in more than 65 years of experience in manufacturing luminaires.
Starting at the very beginning.
Established as a brand in Porto in 2012, O/M's origins lie in more than 65 years of experience in the manufacture of luminaires. Local entrepreneur Osvaldo Matos founded the company in 1959 and over the years he developed an instinct for tailor-made solutions and a reputation for flexibility, trust and dedication that still characterises the working philosophy of O/M, born in Portugal and now present all over the world.
The company's first offices were located in Vila Nova de Gaia, on the banks of the River Douro with beautiful views of Porto. Due to a fire, the facilities were moved to a building that used to be an Art Deco street cinema. Today, the premises that house O/M's headquarters combine a factory, open-space offices and a new space that, unlike a classic showroom, aims to give the visitor the experience of being in a boutique laboratory where products are idealised and discussed.
Working closely with the most creative minds.
Embedded in a culture that thrived at the cutting edge of expertise, O/M excelled in its ability to customize and craft new designs from scratch, forging opportunities to collaborate with prestigious architects and designers on groundbreaking projects. O/M's adaptability intrigued some of the brightest minds of its generation, and our classical 'Light Objects' stand as a testament to the legacy of these bespoke pieces that originated from specific project requirements.
Cairo | 1986
Álvaro Siza Vieira
Serralves | 1992
Álvaro Siza Vieira
Asa | 1996
Álvaro Siza Vieira
Bouro | 1997
Eduardo Souto de Moura
Just | 2000
Eduardo Souto de Moura
Ice | 2001
Eduardo Souto de Moura
It’s all about light.
With this rich background, O/M embarked on a lengthy journey characterized by two core principles: a deep engagement with architects, engineers, and designers to produce tailored solutions for every project, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. O/M has achieved a harmonious equilibrium between design, electronics, optics, mechanics, and finishing, as well as between form, materials, and color. Considerations such as luminous flux, color rendering, temperature, color uniformity, and glare are meticulously evaluated through precise measurements. The ultimate shape of the object and its impact consistently reflect a seamless alignment between design intent and these precision standards.
Through rigorous data measurement, experimentation, and a process that learns from failure as much as from success, we are always evolving the best new technologies for shaping and designing light.
O/M’s team is involved throughout the cycle of design, development and sale. Besides turning to the greatest specialists in the world to remain at the forefront, O/M has highly competent specialist staff, working in multidisciplinary teams, who ensure the efficient management needed to create the tools for great lighting design.
We are a company with a human face.
We are a leading provider of turnkey solutions for prestigious international projects, allied with some of the most advanced sources of lighting technology research in the world.
We support architects, engineers and lighting designers with next-generation software and project management, and value engineering allows clients to control project budgets without sacrificing expectations.
With offices and factories on two continents, agents, sales partners and projects all over the world, we move products to any part of the globe and synergise international management and consulting with local development to ensure the project meets clients’ ambitions.
Now, we move into the future responsibly, providing tools to design for the longevity and maintenance of human spaces, and to ensure sustainability, energy efficiency and environmentally friendly principles.
The company OSVALDO/MATOS starts by engraving plastics and metals, immediately moving on to the production of illuminated signs and its first luminaires.
Starts working with leading names in international architecture, such as Fernando Távora, Álvaro Siza (1992 Pritzker Prize Winner) and Eduardo Souto de Moura (2011 Pritzker Prize Winner).
OSVALDO/MATOS shifted its focus to larger-scale projects and professional products. First company in Portugal to manufacture linear luminaires in aluminium profiles.
(U family developed with Eduardo Souto de Moura)
Offers lighting solutions for major national and international projects while enhancing collaboration with engineering offices on increasingly complex and demanding undertakings.
Management transitions to the third generation with a strategic plan for brand development and international expansion, coinciding with the LED technology revolution and the growth of the lighting design profession.
OSVALDO/MATOS Brazil is set up in São Paulo.
OSVALDO/MATOS launches its new corporate ID and presents the brand.
Starts to develop exclusive solutions with Bartenbach GmbH, specialists in optical systems.
O/M 1st presentation at Light+Bulding, Frankfurt, exponentiating its international expansion.
The start of a world wide network with partners.
German Design Award distinguish One and Tua.
O/M’s R&D Lab acquires a goniophotometer, a key tool to read and measure light.
O/M has been present at the most important lighting trade events, focusing on innovation, expanding and strengthening its internationalisation: A@W Paris/Luxembourg/Lisbon; Focales Lyon/Paris; LEDforum São Paulo; Light+Building Frankfurt; Materials&Light Paris; Biennale di Venezia; IALD Enlighten Europe Berlin/London; Light23 London; Swiss Lighting Forum; DarcSessions; etc.
