Artemide

The company’s growth has been marked by several accolades. Back in 1967, Artemide gained its first Compasso d’Oro Award – the most prestigious Italian reward in Industrial Design – thanks to the Eclisse Lamp designed by Vico Magistretti, one of the greatest Italian industrial and furniture designers. But it was in the 70’s and 80’s that the brand reached the height of its success.

1972 was the year of Tizio, a functional desk lamp with a halogen light created by the German industrial designer Richard Sapper. Its groundbreaking element is in its construction: the transformer situated in the base allows the current pulse to light the bulb without the need for wiring. This allows the lamp to preserve an elegant shape and to be easily installed in various locations.

But the lamp that enabled Artemide to become a leading brand in the lighting industry is Tolomeo, created in 1986 by Italian designers Michele de Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina. Tolomeo soon became an icon in the design world and earned Artemide another Compasso d’Oro Award in 1989. The secret of Tolomeo’s success was its innovative design and its flexibility. Having arms and head that can be adjusted in any direction thanks to a hidden spring system, Tolomeo was designed to satisfy all requirements, while preservino its clean lines.

Throughout the years, both lamps have established themselves as perennial classics and their design has been developed and adapted for different uses. But other Artemide lamps are deserving of mention; deserve to be mentioned, including Pipe and Itis. The Pipe standard lamp  , designed in 2004 by Swiss Architecture and Design Studio Herzog & Demeuron, is notable for its refined stainless steel adjustable body and diffused light. Itis is an extremely flexible table lamp, whose main innovation is its low energy LED system providing an intense and warm light.

Additional proof of Artemide’s innovation and creativity in terms of design, is the inclusion of some of the most iconic models in important collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, MoMA Museum of Modern Art in New York, Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, to name but a few.

Product development has always played a central role at Artemide. In 1996 the company also launched ‘The Human Light’ project that encompasses Artemide’s philosophy and vision. The underlying revolutionary idea is to put Man at the center of the project and create products able to meet people’s needs according to space and time. With ‘The Human Light’ project, lighting is pushed a step forward, not only in terms of functionality and design, but also in terms of Man’s wellbeing.

As well as considering human needs, Artemide also supports the environmental through a strong commitment to promoting Energy-saving systems, in order to minimize power consumption.

The prestige of its name has led Artemide to include in its catalog different kind of lighting solutions apart from the classical lamps. The company has expanded its activities worldwide, with showrooms and flagship stores in Europe, USA, Asia and South America. Global turnover has reached  more than 100 million euros.

In recent years, the Artemide Group, in collaboration with important figures (including the famous Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani) has carried out a promotional campaign  that resulted in its winning the “Leone di bronzo” at the Cannes international advertising festival in 1999. More recently, the Artemide Group has carried out important architectural projects such as the lighting design system for Pirelli’s Headquarters and for Shanghai’s F1 circuit.