The history of design told by lamps.

With some models becoming archetypes, the lighting design sector has contributed to creating the history of design, leaving an indelible and tangible trace both in aesthetic and socio-cultural terms.

Ingo Maurer, the lighting designer (read the article on page 24 and following, ed) defined lighting as the fourth dimension of interior design. Lighting accessories represent a fundamental category in the world of furniture for two reasons: they have the essential role of illuminating domestic environments, making them comfortable and functional including from an emotional point of view, and because they enhance the identity and uniqueness of those environments.

They are products where notwithstanding the necessary merging of form and function, planners and designers have always continued to experiment, to the point of rethinking aesthetics sometimes in unprecedented ways.

Experimentation, innovation and genius are condensed to such an extent in these furnishing accessories that those who desire to know the history of design must start from here. From the discovery of the iconic products that have marked and made the history of lighting, and that testify to the profound consideration that has been dedicated to the nature of the lamp.

An important contribution to the lighting design sector comes from Italian production. This counts among the most distinguished and emblematic protagonists brands and designers who have given life to products that have literally revolutionized lighting. They have questioned parameters considered fixed with designs that then became timeless and ever-popular classics. They have created cult models capable of defying the passing of time to influence contemporary designers, and they have designed icons now present in the collections of the most important museums in the world.

The secret of this success on an international level is the uniqueness of the approach of the internal system of Italian design, established since the 1960s. This involves an equal and intense collaboration between designers and producers, often small local firms, who consult together from the beginning of the project. The designer contributes to the expression of a concept and the company to its practical implementation, with the aim of innovating while respecting origins, bringing intelligent innovation capable of improving people’s lives.

FORTUNY- Mariano Fortuny

BILIA, FontanaArte - Gio Ponti

Luxo L-1- Jac Jacobsen

Fontana, FontanaArte - Max Ingrand

AJ Table, Louis Poulsen - Arne Jacobsen

Akari Light Sculputes, Vitra - Isamu Noguchi