Ettore Sottsass, Beam floor lamp for Bieffeplast

ETTORE SOTTSASS (Austria, 1917 - Italy, 2007) for Bieffeplast.
Floor lamp "Beam", 1980s.
Blue and gray metal.
Electrical characteristics: European plug (up to 240 V) / bulb R7S - LED / COMPATIBLE WITH LED.
It presents a slight wear typical of its age and use. It has some marks on the foot.
Measurements: 190 x 30 x 30 cm.

The "Beam" lamp by Ettore Sottsass is an icon of the furniture of the 70s and 80s. It is a much more sober and geometric piece than other works of his: it is a tall and very slender floor lamp (approx. 190 cm), basically formed by a rectilinear metal structure with an almost architectural presence, with a square or prismatic section, in industrial colors such as gray or blue; its design is extremely minimalist and technical, like a vertical column or beam, where the light is discreetly integrated into the body itself rather than expressed in a decorative way, giving a sense of a rational and functional object, almost like an industrial lighting element elevated to sculpture, reflecting a more restrained and rigorous stage within Sottsass's experimental language.

Ettore Sottsass was an influential Italian architect and designer, considered one of the key figures of 20th century design, known for breaking with traditional functionalism and opting for a more emotional, symbolic and expressive approach; He worked for years for Olivetti designing iconic objects such as the Valentine typewriter, and in the 1980s he founded the Memphis group, with which he revolutionized postmodern design through the use of bright colors, bold geometric shapes and unconventional materials, advocating that objects should not only be useful, but also communicate, provoke and generate experiences.