Description
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 j ...
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 j ...
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 be raised 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 adjustable, functional Lamp One of the Pipistrello's most remarkable features is its telescopic, Brushed stainless steel Base, legs. This functionality, revolutionary for its time, makes it a versatile piece, suitable for all interior configurations. The diffuser, made of opaline white Methacrylate, diffuses a soft, even light, creating a warm, elegant ambience. Every detail of the Lamp testifies to exceptional technical rigor, the fruit of numerous trials and adjustments carried out by Aulenti and Martinelli to remain faithful to their initial vision.
An icon that renews itself
Initially available with a black or white Base, the Pipistrello is now available in a variety of finishes and colors, enabling it to blend harmoniously into both contemporary and more classic interiors. The Pipistrello has also kept up 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.
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 be raised 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 adjustable, functional Lamp One of the Pipistrello's most remarkable features is its telescopic, Brushed stainless steel Base, legs. This functionality, revolutionary for its time, makes it a versatile piece, suitable for all interior configurations. The diffuser, made of opaline white Methacrylate, diffuses a soft, even light, creating a warm, elegant ambience. Every detail of the Lamp testifies to exceptional technical rigor, the fruit of numerous trials and adjustments carried out by Aulenti and Martinelli to remain faithful to their initial vision.
An icon that renews itself
Initially available with a black or white Base, the Pipistrello is now available in a variety of finishes and colors, enabling it to blend harmoniously into both contemporary and more classic interiors. The Pipistrello has also kept up 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 : White / White lampshade
Brand : Martinelli Luce
Designer : Gae Aulenti
Type : Table lamp
Colour : Base: white / White lampshade on a steel structure
Material : Base: lacquered aluminium - Lampshade: opaline methacrylate - Structure: galvanised steel
- Dimensions : Adjustable height: from H 66 to H 86 cm - Lampshade: Ø 55 cm - Base: Ø 32 cm
- Weight : 19.36 lb
- Characteristics : Original model from 1965, made in Italy by the Martinelli Luce factory - Comes with a certificate of guarantee - Integrated LED light source (non-replaceable): 14W (1400 LUMEN 2700°K) - Adjustable height with telescopic movement - Supplied with EU plug: EU to UK plug adapter included
- Country of Manufacture : Italy
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