Stylos, the light column from Flos suitable for any environment
Linear yet tapered, perfect for minimalist and modern environments, Stylos, the lamp created by architect Achille Castiglioni for Flos is a design icon beloved around the world. A timeless classic that does not fear the passing of fashions or years.
True to its etymon – column, in ancient Greek – , Stylos, was born in 1984 but is still extremely relevant today. It is a 2-m high, 17-cm-diameter light pipe, echoing an idea for lighting the staircase of the Milan Triennale.
The cylindrical casing made of opaline white poly-methyl methacrylate, 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 disk by means of three supports that raise it for ventilation and passage of the power cord, the diffuser contains two upward-facing bulbs, one facing the floor, the other at the top end. This very feature gives the separately operable sources the possibility to offer three different lighting situations: an unusual diffused light from the floor with only the lower source, indirect and diffuse lighting with the upper one, and a single column of light with I simultaneous switching on of both.
A design gem that produces diffuse and indirect light
Simple, straightforward design, Stylos, with its cylindrical shape fits perfectly in any room of the house, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere thanks to its soft light. The tapered line combines with any style of decor, especially modern, clean and minimal, and can embellish all rooms, from the living room to the bedroom, not forgetting the study and work area. Specially designed by Achille Castiglioni to produce a diffused, indirect light that diffuses both from below and from above, the lamp is turned on and off by means of the double foot switch mounted on the electrical power cord.
Who was Achille Castiglioni
Achille Castiglioni was born in Milan in 1918, and was one of the most prominent Italian and international architects, designers and academics. The last of the three Castiglioni brothers, after graduating in architecture in 1944 from the Milan Polytechnic, he began working in the firm already founded by his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo. When, in 1953, Livio decided to pursue his career independently, the studio was carried on by Achille and Pier Giacomo, who, very close-knit, debuted by creating fittings for the exhibition halls of companies such as RAI, Montecatini, and Eni, involving figures such as Bruno Munari and Max Huber, and experimenting with innovative solutions, especially for the lighting engineering part of the project. At the same time they also developedarchitectural design activities, with the construction of important buildings such as the Palazzo della Permanente (1952), the parish church S. Gabriele Arcangelo in Mater Dei (1956), and the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce (1958).
During the exhibitions “Forme e colori nella casa d’oggi” at Villa Olmo, Como (1957) and “La casa abitata” in Florence (1965), the Castiglioni brothers presented a series of objects that summarized their language, in which functionality and minimalism were combined with the use of anonymous objects revisited in an ironic key: among them was the Luminator lamp, now produced by Flos, which had already been awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1955. The same award, which he has won eight times, was also given to him in 1979 for the Parentesi lamp produced by the Merano-based company.
In his nearly 60 years of activity, in which he helped revolutionize design and popularize Made in Italy, Achille Castiglioni created more than a hundred objects, some of which are included in the permanent collection of the MoMA in New York and other major museums. The architect died in 2002, at the age of 84, in his studio in Piazza Castello, Milan, since 2005 transformed into the Studio Museo Achille Castiglioni.
