FLOS-BATH

Linea Sand Oval, Flos Bath Mirror

Enlarge

Rollover to Zoom

Flos

In 1962 Flos was founded. That same year, Flos Lighting began the production of several lamps which were to become classics in Italian industrial design. the Arco, Taccia, Toio and Relemme were of the first lamps produced by Flos and designed by the Castiglioni brothers, Achille and Piergiacomo. As a tribute to, and proof of their avant-garde design and technical excellence, all four of these lamps continue to be produced by Flos Lighting today.

It all began with cocoon…
Back in 1959, Arturo Eisenkeil of Merano, an importer of cocoon (a spray-on plastic coating manufactured in the US) was in search of possibilities of application for this new material. His search led him to Dino Gavina and Cesare Cassina. The three then joined forces to set up a company to produce lighting fixtures.

This marked the genesis of Flos lamps and their long-standing relationship in the area of design with the Castiglioni brothers and Tobia Scarpa. the first lamps created using Cocoon were the offspring of this collaboration; Taraxacum, Viscontea and Gatto by the Castiglioni brothers and Fantasma by Scarpa.

Following that…
In 1964, Flos migrated from Merano to the province of Brescia. Their first stop was to Nave, before ending up where they are located to this day in Bovezzo. in 1965, Sergio Gandini became chairman of Flos.

Flos Lighting became the owner of Arteluce in 1974 - one of the main Italian companies within the industrial design sector. Industrialist and designer, Gino Sarfatti, is the founder of Arteluce. Sarfatti himself has designed several models that have been incorporated into the Flos lamp product range, a further example of the tradition and timeless designs of Flos.

Flos Quality
From day one, the distinguishing characteristic of Flos Lighting has been their high quality approach to lamp production and design. Some of the most successful and best-known products for Flos were from the design genius of Achille and Piergiacomo Castiglioni. They have received historical-critical accolades and won numerous awards, and you can find their work in design museums and important collections all over the world.

A few of their most significant product examples over the last forty years are; (1970) Parentesi, (1992) Brera, (1996) Fucsia, and most recently (1998) Diabolo. The ground-breaking Parentesi, designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pio Manzu, is a fine thread extended between floor and ceiling and received the ‘Compasso D’Oro’ award in 1979.

Renowned Designers
Flos Lighting and Arteluce have attracted some of the world’s most famous designers to produce for them over the years. The Helice aluminum floor lamp was created by Marc Newson in 1992. The Drop Rubber Wall Lamp, designed by Marc Sadler, was awarded the Compasso D’Oro in 1994, which was the same year Flos received the same honor for its activity as a company.

Flos began producing the Ara, its first Phillipe Stark designed lamp, in 1988. This established the foundation of a very important working relationship between Flos Lighting and Mr. Stark, which has lasted ever since. The Ara, which received instant praise and popularity, was followed by many Phillipe Stark designs; the small colored Miss Sissi (1991) which turned out to be a cult object and a huge commercial success. In the years that followed, came the Rosy Angelis (1994), the Romeo Moon (1996) and the Archimoon series in 1998.

In tandem with time
Flos has the objective of discovering the most talented designers, so as to maintain the Flos leadership in innovation. Therefore throughout the nineties, Flos lamp designs have looked beyond the designs of Achille Castiglioni and Phillipe Stark, to offer a wide range of new products and designs.

In 1998, Flos began producing Jasper Morrison’s Glo Ball, keynoted by a large opaline shere, that can be used with various types of supports. Another innovative designer for Flos is Kostantin Gricic, who has produced two fixtures for Flos; Boxer, which redesigns a characterless type with modern materials and lines.

Lastly, Flos Lighting has also produced the Lastra ceiling fixture, designed by Antonio Citterio. The Lastra combines advanced lighting technology, printed circuitry, single adjustable task lighting with a traditional accent, conjured up by the imposing crystal sheet and lamp hanging over the dining table.

Expressing design
Flos expresses their high quality designs through a catalogue designed by the collaboration of Max Huber, Pino Tovaglia, Jean Baptiste Mondino and Ferruccio Laviani. You are able to experience the effect each Flos lamp has through its beautifully produced catalogue of graphic images, as you will experience here at OLighting.com.

What to expect
In 2002, Flos celebrated 40 years of designer lamp production. Flos Lighting will continue to focus their attention on designer lighting products that are of avant-garde design and leading–edge technology.

At OLighting.com, we are proud to offer the full line of Flos Lighting products.