The most iconic 'impossible' lamp in FLOS: Parentesi

Today we present one of the best known lamps of the Italian firm FLOS, icon of industrial style design for more than 30 years.

This peculiar lamp was created in 1971 by Italian designers Achille Castiglioni and Pio Manzù for FLOS, becoming an iconic object of industrial design. Parentesi received the Compasso d'Oro award in 1979 and since then has been exhibited in many museums and exhibitions dedicated to industrial design, such as the Moma in New York or the GameC in Bergamo. It is currently part of the permanent collection of the Triennale Desgin Museum in Milan.

We wouldn't know whether to define it as a floor lamp or a suspended lamp, since it's actually both! Parentesi is formed on a steel cable that is installed from the floor to the ceiling through which a small steel tube that supports the lighting focus can be moved. The central element of the lamp is this small tube, in which the name of the lamp is inspired, which allows the luminaire to slide vertically and rotate 360 degrees around the cable that holds it.

The friction play between the tube and the steel cable means that the lamp can be placed at the desired height without moving unless force is applied voluntarily. So, if you want to change the height of the lamp you simply have to move the steel tube, without the need for any apparent support system. Actually inside the steel tube is a small rubber sheath that remains in position without the need for screws, only because of friction. In this rubber sleeve is placed laterally a brass pin that joins it with the lamp holder and allows the focus to be rotated in a vertical plane. Thus, you can orient the beam of light and direct it as desired. In addition, currently the lamp is manufactured with light intensity regulation system, so through this piece you can adapt the lighting to the needs of each situation both in orientation, height and intensity.

Therefore, apart from having a spectacular and striking design, it is a luminaire with great functionality, since it adapts to a multitude of situations. That is why it has been a lamp widely used for the lighting of premises or shop windows.

Parentesi's original sketch was devised by Pio Manzù and consisted of a cylindrical box with a slot for the passage of light that could run through a fixed bar, fastened with a screw. Unfortunately Manzù died without having brought his idea to reality and it was Achille Castiglioni, at the hands of whom the sketch arrived, who finally reinterpreted the design and created the Parentesi lamp that we know today. Castiglioni changed the fixed bar for a steel cable to minimize the use of materials and make it less heavy, creating a greater sense of suspension and anchoring it on the ground with a weight that can move. The lamp produced by FLOS has a weight of 3 kg and a maximum height of 4 meters, with a switch on the head of the focus.

Without a doubt Parentesi is a master class of design made lamp and best of all, available in iLuxiform.com! Made with top quality materials and taken care of to the last detail, like all FLOS luminaires, it is available in 4 different colors: white, orange, black and nickel, with or without dimmer. If you have any questions about Parentesi, don't hesitate to contact us!

Source | images FLOS