Description
This mini version of the iconic Pipistrello lamp is a true nomad: wireless and rechargeable, it can be moved around the house! This portable Lamp is an exact replica of its larger sibling, designed by Gae Aulenti in 1965. Equipped with a battery and a micro UBS charger, this cordless lamp has a 6-hour runtime. The touch-sensitive Dimmer on the base lets y ...
This mini version of the iconic Pipistrello lamp is a true nomad: wireless and rechargeable, it can be moved around the house! This portable Lamp is an exact replica of its larger sibling, designed by Gae Aulenti in 1965. Equipped with a battery and a micro UBS charger, this cordless lamp has a 6-hour runtime. The touch-sensitive Dimmer on the base lets you adjust the light's intensity. The Minipipistrello lamp will find its place anywhere: on a desk, shelf, console or bedside table. It is equipped with an economical and efficient LED source.
Pipistrello Lamp: a timeless icon of Italian design
Created in 1965 by the talented Milanese architect and designer Gae Aulenti, the Pipistrello Lamp is one of the most striking symbols of Italian design. Produced by the prestigious Tuscan firm Martinelli Luce, this daring piece transcends time, embodying the perfect union of technical innovation and sculptural aesthetics. More than just a lamp, Pipistrello is a work of art in its own right, as elegant as it is functional, appealing to design enthusiasts and enlightened amateurs alike. Made with the utmost care in Italy, each Pipistrello Lamp comes with a certificate of authenticity. Investing in a Pipistrello is much more than just buying a luminaire: it's owning a piece of design history.
A revolutionary design and a technical challenge
The Pipistrello takes its name from its emblematic Lampshade, with its undulating shape reminiscent of the wings of a bat - "pipistrello" in Italian. An organic inspiration that defies the conventions of 60s lighting design, then dominated by more classical lines. This lamp presents a real headache in terms of realization: no mold is suitable for this boldly shaped lampshade. Secondly, and by no means least, the industrialization of its telescopic base, enabling it to rise from 66 to 86 cm, seemed almost impossible.
But Elio Martinelli, founder of Martinelli Luce, is convinced of the Pipistrello's design potential. Never short of ideas, and with a keen eye for industrial design of the past, he took up the challenge of manufacturing it.
Visionary engineering
Elio Martinelli immediately added new materials to his modern lines. To spread a soft, even light, he chose, in agreement with Aulenti, to make the Lampshade in Methacrylate, an opalescent material. Elio Martinelli spent many sleepless nights experimenting, drawing inspiration from Tiffany's glass lampshade molds. His daughter Emiliana recalls: "He often went to Gae's studio. That's where they did the tests with a boneless Pipistrello. They were always keen to stay true to the original project."
Elio Martinelli develops innovative solutions for the adjustable mechanism. He succeeded in modeling the mold and the technical requirements of the Pipistrello.
Two years after the first design, the Pipistrello went on sale in 1967, marking the start of an international success story.
An international success story
Presented in 1972 at New York's MoMa during the exhibition "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape", the Pipistrello quickly established itself as an international design icon. Today, it is exhibited in the world's greatest museums and remains one of the best-selling lamps in France, proof of its timeless appeal. It navigates with ease between designer interiors and trendy places, adding a touch of Italian elegance to every space it lights. The Pipistrello doesn't just diffuse light: it tells a story, that of an era when design freed itself from convention to become an art form in its own right.
An icon that renews itself
Today, the Pipistrello is available in a variety of finishes and colors, enabling it to blend harmoniously into both contemporary and more classic interiors. The Pipistrello has evolved with the times, now incorporating LED sources and available in mini or nomadic wireless versions. Since 2020, it has even been available in a connected version, controllable remotely via Android or Apple.
In detail:
Variation : Dark brown
Brand : Martinelli Luce
Designer : Gae Aulenti
Type : Wireless rechargeable lamp
Colour : Dark brown / White lampshade
Material : Base: lacquered aluminium - Lampshade: opaline methacrylate - Structure: Galvanised steel
- Dimensions : Ø 27 x H 35 cm - Charging cable: L 190 cm
- Weight : 4.4 lb
- Characteristics : Original 1965 model, made in Italy by the Martinelli Luce factory - Sold with a certificate of authenticity - Rechargeable wireless lamp with micro USB charger - Included: battery and Type C micro USB charge cable - Autonomy: 6 hours - touch dimmer on the base (with on/off function) - Diffuse light - Integrated LED source (irreplaceable): 4.5W, 350lm, 2700K, CRI >80, duration 50 000 hours - For indoor use only - Class A++
- Country of Manufacture : Italy
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