Luis Pérez de la Oliva, 520C lamp for Fase

LUIS PEREZ DE LA OLIVA (Spain, mid-20th century) for FASE.
Model 520C desk lamp, 1970s.
Chrome-plated metal with a tortoiseshell finish and glass.
Adjustable shade with a glass reflector at the bottom.
In very good condition.
Measurements: 40 x 48 x 30 cm.

The Model 520C is one of Fase’s most popular designs. In this 1975 version, the shade and base were lacquered with a tortoiseshell-effect finish, imitating a turtle’s shell, and the arm was finished in dark gold.

Fase lamps are distinguished by their impeccable design, functionality, and high-quality materials. A true icon of Spanish craftsmanship, Fase has exported its lighting to more than 32 countries over the past 30 years.

The Spanish lighting manufacturer Fase was founded in Madrid in 1964 by industrial designer Pedro Martín. Martín initially sold his self-produced lamps at markets before successfully establishing a factory in Torrejón de Ardoz, on the outskirts of Madrid. In the 1970s, Fase was one of the leading players in the Spanish manufacturing industry, contributing to an economy struggling with oil crises and a difficult transition to democracy. For more than three decades, Fase sold lighting to 32 different countries, with its largest markets being the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Canada, and the United States. Despite Fase’s commercial success, information about the company and its history is scarce, and sources are often contradictory. Fase’s early designs are considered modern, featuring original combinations of metals such as chrome and steel with marble and wood, in a range of bright colors. Often, the light fixtures could also be moved thanks to a sophisticated ball-joint system devised by Fase’s early designers, which soon became a trademark along with its glass diffusers. Notable Fase designs include the Boomerang 64, Boomerang 2000, 520, Faro, and President, all of which are believed to have been designed in the 1960s. Starting in the 1970s, Fase introduced modern Italian and Bauhaus-inspired designs to a Spanish audience that, emerging from the Franco era, was unfamiliar with the most iconic styles of the 20th century. In addition to combining traditional materials such as wood with a modernist aesthetic, Fase created many lamps in a fully modernist style. Among the lamps from this period are the Tharsis and the Babilonia—both in chrome but featuring single and double shades, respectively—as well as the Arpón and the Impala in stainless steel (all from the 1970s).

Fase’s lighting designers and employees remain largely anonymous, which has led to many lamps being falsely advertised as produced by the Spanish manufacturer, giving rise to an entire “Fase-style” lighting genre, which can be seen in lamps produced by the Madrid-based lighting manufacturers Lupela, GEI (Gabinete Estudios Industriales), and Ma-Of. Authentic Fase lamps can be identified by the company’s name or logo, which is usually found on the base or plug of the lamp.

In the 1980s, Fase began manufacturing halogen lamps. Although these lamps were very popular and innovative at the time, this break with tradition was unsuccessful and ultimately contributed to the company’s demise.