Giancarlo Mattioli and the Urban Architects Group Città Nuova
Object
The Nesso lamp by Artemide is one of the great classics of 1960s Italian design. Designed in plastic—a material whose possibilities were just being discovered at the time—this lamp entered the homes of thousands of people. It experienced a sales boom in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, and Artemide has been producing it continuously for over 50 years.
Today, Nesso is an icon of 1960s plastic design. The company still produces it in the original white and orange colors and has also introduced a smaller version available in three colors, Nessino: the classic white and orange, plus a new red version.
Brief History of the Nesso Lamp by Artemide
The Nesso lamp, along with other lighting classics like Taccia and Snoopy by the Castiglioni brothers, defined the aesthetic of an era.
The story of Nesso begins at the 1965 Salone del Mobile in Milan when Studio Artemide and Domus organized a competition for a plastic lamp, a new material that was booming at the time.
The design for Nesso, created by Giancarlo Mattioli and the Gruppo Architetti Urbanisti Città Nuova, features a mushroom shape that combines an organic, familiar form with an entirely new material. Nesso was the first lamp made of injection-molded ABS, with the light source consisting of four bulbs hidden beneath the large shade.
The overall effect, created by the light and the transparency of the plastic, is that of a lamp that is both unconventional and elegant, new yet familiar. This resulted in enormous sales success, making it a long-seller for Artemide.
The Nesso Lamp in Museums
The Nesso lamp is part of the collections of the world’s premier design museums. These include the MoMA in New York, the Triennale di Milano, the MET in New York, and many others.
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Details
Artemide
Nesso’s dimensions:
- Height: 340 mm
- Diameter: 540 mm
- Base: 210 mm
Nessino’s dimensions:
- Height: 230 mm
- Diameter: 320 mm
- Base: 125 mm
The Nesso and Nessino lamps are made of polycarbonate technopolymer.
