OK Lamp by the world renowned designer Konstantin Grcic is a true story of design evolution, the one of the Parentesi lamp.
The story of the Parentesi lamp is a fascinating journey through the evolution of design. The initial vision was conceived by Pio Manzù, who imagined a light fixture capable of moving vertically from the floor to the ceiling and rotating around its axis by 360 degrees. This concept was further developed by Achille Castiglioni following Manzù’s untimely death in 1969. A detailed original drawing showcases the meticulous effort that went into refining the early sketches into the product that would eventually hit the market. In 1972, FLOS introduced the Parentesi lamp, and it has remained in production to this day.
Decades later, the landscape of lighting has undergone significant transformations, with the advent of new lighting technologies replacing traditional bulbs. This shift has opened up fresh avenues for lamp design and manufacturing, moving beyond the constraints of standard bulbs to inventing the light source itself. This evolution brings to mind the Parentesi lamp, a design that once celebrated the conventional bulb so elegantly and efficiently. It prompts a reflection on whether it’s time to reimagine the Parentesi lamp anew, carrying forward the legacy of Manzù and Castiglioni into the future.
Project: OK Lamp
Designed by Konstantin Grcic
Website: konstantin-grcic.com
