It is my all time favorite piece of design, it is a master piece, it is legendary. I can’t remember how I came to know it for the first time, but whenever I ask myself what my favorite design is, I always think about it. It is the Arco Lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni brothers.
It was designed in 1962 by the Castiglionis and then manufactured by Flos at the peak of Italian design movement’s influence. It is one of the most popular and most copied floor lamps in history.
Its heavy base is made with white Carrara marble, joined by a stainless-steel arch made up with four pieces of curved tubing and fitted together telescopically, which allow the lamp reaches 215 to 220 centimetres into the space. The highest point of the arch is 232 centimetres. The light source is situated in a rounded and polished aluminum reflector and its height can be adjusted between 145 and 175 centimetres. The top of the reflector is pierced by a number of holes which allow the light to emanate from the top of it as well as the bottom. Meanwhile the heavy marble base acts to keep the lamp balanced, and a hole on it to allow the user move it around easily by putting a stick through it. The entire lamp weights 63.8 kilograms, which I feel is quite remarkable for a lamp.
The Arco lamp was soon becoming a means of fashion. It could be found in many fashionable interiors, whether hovering over a desk, dining table or sofa. It has also been used widely as props or a decorative object in a range of films, such as the original The Italian job. Today, the Arco lamp is still popular and being used as decorative illuminators in many interiors such as hotels , dine dining restaurants or people’s houses etc. It is an iconic design of the 20th century.
Back to the end of the Fifties, Italy has started offering a range of furnishing products which full of practicalities and innovative ideas, and many of them are still popular on the market today. Furniture made in Italy was widely considered of having the characteristics of well made, stylish and functional . Italy has been holding a strong position in the world of furniture and interior design. The Sixties was a rapid period of the electrical appliances growth, Italy became Europe’s top manufacturer of such products, and second in the world after the United States of America. Lighting design offered a great sculptural opportunity for designers since it brought art together with utility. Flos, who manufactured of the Arco lamp, was founded in Merano by Dino Gavina and Sergiu Biliotti in the year of 1962, aimed to be the specialist of modern lighting. Flos was courage to be daring and provocative but uphold the fundamental of design. They manufactured products designed by a range of remarkable designers including Castiglioni brothers, Mark Newson and Philippe Stark. Castiglioni brothers’ Arco lamp was one of the very first products in the company’s history. Today Flos has successfully became a leading company of lighting and they are often recognised as the “Rolls Royce” in lighting.
Many of the Flos’ products arose as solutions to exposition problems, such as the Arco lamp. Inspired by the streetlamp, designed to be able to light up the dining area to replace the traditional celling lamp, without drilling holes on the celling of the precious Italian ancient architectures while the installation process, and easy to be moved around. The Arco lamp can be easily placed next to the dining table, and people can walk under its arch conveniently. Compare to the traditional celling lamps, it also has the advantage on practicality and function.
However, I think the success of the Arco lamp is not only because of its practicality and function, but also the quality and style. Castiglionis’ choice of materials explains. The use of the traditional material, marble, reflects the heroic past of Italian architecture and art, while the stainless steel gives the a touch of modernism. In my point of view, the Arco represents a sense of continuity between past and present. At the same time it acts as a strong punctuation of Italian modern interiors. Together, the materials made it a perfect match for leather sofas and smoked-glass tables, which, are the main materials of furniture design of its time. On the other hand, the style of the lamp had just followed one major principle, simpleness. Combined two main materials, with no unnecessary elements added but has basic functions of a lamp, to illuminate and adjustable. Castiglionis made it pure, hence the Arco can be fitted into any environment and space, and it will never be out of date. In case of interior design, it could be a highlight in a colourful, vigorous living area or into a part of a series of plan dining room. They used the minimal amount of materials while creating maximum effect.
The Arco lamp marks the peak of Castiglionis’ careers. It is a classic piece of work in the lighting design history. After its release, a lot of designs followed the Arco lamp’s concept or inspired by it. In its 49 years of history so far, it shows a level of confidence, stylishness and life quality.
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this is actually an essay I wrote when I was in my foundation course in London Met, I have changed it a bit. didn't have much time today.
ReplyDeleteThe lamp itself is composed of a semicircular arch made of three stainless steel parts, and an adjustable shade in polished stainless steel with perforated circles for diffusing the light. The stainless steel structure ensures a durable finish that won't rust of chip over time, unlike chrome plated steel. The arco lamp is turned on and off by a foot switch at the base of the lamp. The marble base weighs around 65kg!
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