Flos
The beginnings of Flos (meaning “flower” in Latin) blossomed from a brilliant idea: to create objects, starting with a light bulb, that would change the way of life for both the Italian market and the foreign markets.
Dino Gavina and the small Eisenkeil manufacturing facility in Merano, had already been creating furniture alongside design masters such as Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Afra and Tobia Scarpa. But by the early ‘60s, Gavina became convinced the time had come to create new lamps.
Using the same technology – conceived in the USA and tested at Eisenkeil – used for the Cocoon lampthe Castiglioni brothers and the Scarpa duo began creating lamps such as the Taraxacum or the Fantasma, with many other beautiful and surprising lamps to follow.
And so, from day one, Flos was already reinventing the idea of artificial lighting.
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Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Born in Milan in 1913, Pier graduated from Politecnico di Milano University with a degree in architecture in 1937. That same year, he established the Architecture, Urban Buildings, and Research into Industrial Design practice with his brother Livio. In 1944, his brother Achille joined the practice.
He and Achille collaborated on many successful lighting designs. He died in Milan in 1968.
Achille Castiglioni was born in Milan in 1918. He graduated from Politecnico di Milano University with a degree in architecture in the late 1930s and, shortly after, set up a design office with his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo in Milan. His works are included in permanent collections in museums all around the world, including 14 pieces at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
In his lifetime, he designed and collaborated on close to 150 objects. Many of Achille Castiglioni’s lighting products are still in production today.
FLOS favorites by Achille Castiglioni: AOY, Arco, Gatto, Lampadina, Snoopy, Taccia, Toio, Viscontea, Stylos and Ventosa.
FLOS favorites by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni: Taraxacum lights, Splügen Bräu hanging lamps and the Arco floor lamp.
