Arco Floor Lamp

Product Design Info

Designer: Achille Castiglioni

Achille Castiglioni (February 26, 1918 - December 2, 2002) was a renowned Italian industrial designer. He was often inspired by everyday things and made use of ordinary materials. He preferred to use a minimal amount of materials to create forms with maximal effect.

Art: Arco Floor Lamp

As a lecturer at the Politecnico di Milano in the 1980s, Achille Castiglioni would implore his students to "Start from scratch. Stick to common sense. Know your goals and means." He clearly took his own advice when he, with his elder brother Pier Giacomo, designed the dramatic Arco Floor Lamp (1962). Inspired by a streetlight, the Arco cleverly provides overhead lighting without requiring ceiling suspension, its polished shade extending eight feet to accommodate a dining table or sofa beneath the light source. Aware that the 78-pound lamp would be difficult to move, the designers smartly placed a hole in the base to accommodate a broom handle. They also gave the Arco an adjustable arc and swiveling shade for precise lighting control. As groovy as it is elegant, the lamp's iconic status was sealed when it appeared on screen alongside Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever and in The Italian Job (apropos). The Arco is included in the permanent collection at MoMA.