Joe Colombo, Triedro lamp for Stilnovo

JOE COLOMBO (Italy, 1930–1971) for Stilnovo.
Triedro floor lamp. Italy, designed in 1970.
Shade made of metal lacquered in glossy white. Body, joints, and lamp holder in matte black metal. Chrome-plated stem and circular iron base coated with polyethylene.
Weight: 13 kg.
7 W E27 LED bulb with a silver dome and warm light at 2700 K, according to the information provided.
Measurements: 200 cm tall; base diameter 29 cm.

Designed by Joe Colombo in 1970, the Triedro lamp brings the technical character of the spotlights used in photography studios into the home. Its metal shade, formed from three folded planes, acts as a reflector and, combined with the silver-domed bulb, distributes the light while reducing glare. The double joint allows the spotlight to be rotated and tilted, while its sliding mount adjusts its position along the pole. The hallmarks of the design—the white shade, the black mechanisms, and the chrome-plated stand—highlight the design’s structural logic. The circular base provides stability and completes a structure with simple lines, suitable for reading areas, living rooms, and workspaces.

Colombo was an industrial designer born in Milan. Before turning to design (in the 1950s), he was a painter and sculptor. Some historians believe that it was Colombo who turned Milan into the capital of design. He designed flexible, compact interiors with rooms that could vary in size and layout within the same apartment. His futuristic vision led him to conceive circular shelves that hang from the ceiling, as well as wine glasses with an off-center stem so that wine and a cigarette could be held in the same hand. He believed in plastic as a modern, revolutionary, and effective material. He began by experimenting with new materials, such as reinforced plastic, as well as innovative construction techniques and manufacturing methods. His first design for Kartell was the No. 4801 chair (1963–1964), made of three pieces of plywood. That design inspired his later work with plastic, such as the Universale Chair No. 4860 (1965–1967), the first injection-molded (ABS) plastic chair for adults. He died at the age of 40 while preparing a major exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.