Cover photo: Italamp, Coulisse
Glass may be the most classic of all materials used to make a lamp. From ancient Venetian chandeliers with multiple arms to crystal-drop fixtures, from lanterns to opaline spheres, glass has always been a protagonist. Its versatility and mutable nature explain why: transparent or smoked, smooth or diamond-patterned, glass is perfect for protecting light sources while also shaping decorative pieces with strong character.
One, ten, a hundred glass lamps
Contemporary glass lamps fall into several categories. Some creations preserve traditional artisanal techniques — pressed-glass elements are a major trend today — often designed and produced in historic Venetian furnaces such as Venini or Barovier&Toso. Contemporary brands also experiment with craftsmanship: Artemide, together with Neil Poulton, brings back the balloton technique. Blown glass remains a timeless classic, ideal for giving lamps a precious quality. It allows for transparent or opaline diffusers, and can even take on playful forms such as Exit, the wall light by 6:AM, a refined reinterpretation of the safety signs found in public spaces. Here are 10 recent models that use glass creatively and in different ways.
Venini
Collection Particulière
Artemide
Brokis
6:AM
Ferroluce
Italamp
Oluce
Saint Louis
Barovier&Toso
Agave by Barovier&Toso, designed by García Cumini, features a modular structure composed of leaf-like elements that recall the plant from which it takes its name. The project revives traditional Venetian plate-glass techniques with a dew-textured surface, playing with transparency and color gradients.
