Stylos, the light column by Flos suitable for any environment
Linear and at the same time tapered, perfect for minimalist and modern environments, Stylos, the lamp created by architect Achille Castiglioni for Flos is a design icon loved all over the world. A timeless classic that does not fear the passing of fashions or years.
Faithful to its etymology - column, in ancient Greek -, Stylos, was born in 1984 but is still extremely current. It is a light tube 2 m high and 17 cm in diameter, which takes up an idea for the lighting of the staircase of the Milan Triennale.
The cylindrical shell in opal white poly-methylmethacrylate, 4 mm thick, as it cannot be formed by extrusion, is obtained by centrifugation in a tubular mold. Anchored to the ground by a thin steel disc by means of three supports that raise it for ventilation and the passage of the power cable, the diffuser contains two bulbs oriented upwards, one facing the floor, the other towards the upper extremity. Precisely this feature allows the sources, which can be operated separately, to offer three different light situations: an unusual light diffused from the floor, with the lower source only, indirect and diffused illumination with the upper one, a single column of light with Simultaneous ignition of both.
A design jewel that produces diffused and indirect light
Simple, linear design, Stylos, with its cylindrical shape, adapts perfectly to any room in the house, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere thanks to its soft light. The tapered line combines with any style of furniture, especially if modern, clean and minimal, and can embellish all environments, from the living room to the bedroom, without forgetting the study and the work area. Designed by Achille Castiglioni specifically to produce a diffused and indirect light, which diffuses both from the bottom and from the top, the lamp turns on and off by means of the double foot switch mounted on the electric power cable.
Who was Achille Castiglioni
Achille Castiglioni was born in Milan in 1918, and was one of the most important architects, designers and academics on the Italian and international scene. The last of the three Castiglioni brothers, after graduating in architecture in 1944 at the Milan Polytechnic, he began working in the studio already founded by the brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo. When, in 1953, Livio decides to continue his career independently, the studio is carried out by Achille and Pier Giacomo, who, very close-knit, make their debut by creating fittings for the exhibition halls of companies such as RAI, Montecatini, Eni, involving figures such as Bruno Munari and Max Huber, and experimenting with innovative solutions, especially for the part of the project relating to lighting. At the same time, they also developed architectural design activities, with the construction of important buildings such as the Palazzo della Permanente (1952), the parish church of S. Gabriele Arcangelo in Mater Dei (1956), the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce (1958).
During the exhibitions "Forms and colours in the house of today" at Villa Olmo, Como (1957) and "The inhabited house" in Florence (1965), the Castiglioni brothers present a series of objects that summarize their language, in which the functionality and minimalism are combined with the use of anonymous objects revisited in an ironic key: among these there was also the Luminator lamp, now produced by Flos, already awarded with the Compasso d'Oro in 1955. The same award, which he has seen the protagonist 8 times, and was attributed to him, in 1979, also for the Parentesi lamp produced by the company from Merano.
In almost 60 years of activity, in which he contributed to revolutionize design and spread Made in Italy, Achille Castiglioni has created more than a hundred objects, some of which are included in the permanent collection of the MoMA in New York and in other important museums. The architect died in 2002, at the age of 84, in his studio in Piazza Castello, in Milan, which since 2005 has been transformed into the Achille Castiglioni Studio Museum.