The Italian company Stilnovo specialises in the production of lighting fixtures. Founded in Milan in 1946 by designer Bruno Gatta, Stilnovo immediately attracted the attention of the Milan artistic milieu, as evidenced by a review in Domus by Gio Ponti, a silver medal at the X Triennale in 1954 and a Compasso d'Oro award for the Braccio lamp in 1955. Thanks to the collaboration with designers of the calibre of Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Joe Colombo and Gae Aulenti, to name but a few, the company produces lamps that have entered the Olympus of design. Unique solutions, innovative materials and cutting-edge technology make Stilnovo a go-to brand for designers and lovers of timeless design.
Stilnovo lamps, re-editions of iconic pieces
The Stilnovo catalogue offers some re-editions of iconic pieces, created with philological attention to materials and colours while limiting the modifications to the technological components. Thus the legendary Saliscendi by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, a pendant lamp designed in 1957 for the Milan Chamber of Commerce, now with dimmable LED sources, returns to illuminate and furnish interiors. With its tubular brass arms and white blown glass spheres, the 1959 Galassia collection is more contemporary than ever, thanks to the recent revival of its 1950s aesthetic. Galassia is available in pendant, floor and wall versions. The Gravita lamp, designed by Antonio Macchi Cassia, was already an avant-garde object when it was launched in 1969; it has a dual light source, one fixed and one mobile. In 1970, the brilliant Joe Colombo created the Topo, Minitopo and Triedro lamps. Inspired by a car body, floor lamps Topo and Minitopo are available in chrome-plated or polished painted metal. The Triedro lampshade recalls the diffusers used in photography studios; this innovative concept now comes with dimmable LEDs. Another revolutionary fixture was Ettore Sottsass' Valigia lamp, 1977, with a shape reminiscent of a suitcase, thanks to the handle that can be used to move it about. However, in his ironic and disorienting intent, the great designer was also inspired by architecture in the red-painted tubular metal arches and the vaulted housing of the light source. The colourful and irreverent style of the 1970s can be found in the Fante table lamp by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D'Urbino and Paolo Lomazzi. The designers positioned a globe-shaped bulb surmounted by an adjustable metal disc on a base in the shape of a truncated cone, now available in silicone; the lamp resembles the silhouette of a woman with a hat. The Minibox table lamp resulted from the creativity of Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni, an expert lighting designer; created in 1980, it merges the pop suggestions of some Gae Aulenti designs with the concept of the decontextualised object, an unmistakable signature of the Castiglioni brothers. Minibox assembles a metal box and a miner's light bulb that can be moved and oriented thanks to magnetic coupling. It is available in a wall version and in 5 pop colours.
Stilnovo's contemporary collections, between technology and design
After going out of business in 1993, Stilnovo was bought out in 2019 by the Linea Light Group, which specialises in cutting-edge LED solutions. This was the beginning of new-founded success, with its prestigious catalogue enriched by new contemporary collections. Among the brand's most active designers are Mirco Crosatto, head of Linea Light Group's Research and Design department, who designed the award-winning Reflexio, Diphy, Demì, Mr Magoo, Hinomaru and Derby soundproofing lamps. Venetian architect and designer brothers Pio and Tito Toso contributed to relaunching the company with projects such as the Honey collection and the Sparkling floor lamp, the former inspired by the Murano glassmaking tradition and the latter by Burano lace. The Oxygen collection is notable for the innovative OptiLight technology applied to lamp diffusers; available in floor, wall and pendant versions, OptiLight provides precise and homogeneous lighting. Another Linea Light designer, Edin Dedovic, conceived the modular LED Xilema System for Stilnovo that can be used to create suggestive lighting lines. The Xilema collection completes the system with linear floor, wall and pendant LED lamps, jewels of technology with minimalist design. Swiss designer Davide Oppizzi added to the Stilnovo catalogue with his refined creations; they include 2Nights, a system equipped with powerLED technology for lamps housed in elegant gold or rose gold cylinders, and the 1Night 2Nights wall versions for bedside use. Also noteworthy are the fixtures designed by Stilnovo's design division. The Mongolfier chandelier uses Warm Tune technology, which allows the temperature of the light to be calibrated according to room brightness. The essential Saturn chandelier is a luminous ring in opaline glass, perfect for illuminating large rooms with uniform light. Finally, Opti-Line is an elegant and minimalist office lamp featuring a slender section that is highly efficient thanks to the use of OptiLight™ technology.
Stilnovo for sale on Archiproducts
Discover Stilnovo products for sale online in the Archiproducts store. Illuminate your home with true icons of Italian design.
