When designing means breaking down
or deconstructing, and shapes are forged
through observation of what already exists –
these are some of the commandments put in
place by the Castiglioni brothers.
In the case of Bulbo the rule of simplifi cation
is very clear. This lamp is a synthesis of
redesign and ready-made: a large industrial
bulb without its screw cap and with a
shortened neck to take the shape of a bubble.
The classic fi lament inside becomes its
distinguishing feature, both decorative and
illuminating. The light source itself highlights
the technical design that characterizes this
lamp, and also makes it work.
Bulbo was designed by Achille and Pier
Giacomo Castiglioni for an installation at the
XI Triennale in Milan in 1957. When one lamp
was connected to others in a series for this
exhibition, the light output drastically reduced
and the internal fi lament turned a reddish
hue, giving off a low-intensity, warm ambient
light. The 2019 edition by Flos reproduces
its fi lament in tungsten with an LED source,
preserving the same color and intensity of the
light as in the original.
