Eclisse

"The Eclisse lamp is beautiful to look at because the concepts are in themselves beautiful". (excerpt from an interview to Vico Magistretti by Andreotti and De Melis, August 2002)

The Eclisse night and wall lamp represents the possibility of responding with simplicity to a practical need like adjusting the light while at the same time fulfilling criteria such as economic accessibility and minimum overall dimensions. Drawing inspiration from Jean Valjean's dark lantern in the Misérables, in which the light filtering through a round hole is adjusted through a swivelling screen, Eclisse is designed by juxtaposing three semi-circular shells: one acts as the base, the external shell is fixed and inside it the third mobile shell rotates on a hinge and its movement makes it is possible to grade the flow of light. By composing elementary geometric shapes, the resulting light produces the effect of a solar eclipse. This diffuse and direct light lamp easy to upkeep, unbreakable and stable, was initially produced in aluminium, a material easy to shape on hemispherical moulds. The overheating problem of the metal parts used for adjusting the light was subsequently solved with the introduction of a plastic ring nut which avoids contact between the metal body and the user's fingers. The lamp is now produced in steel with techno polymer elements.

A great marketing success, the Eclisse won the prestigious Compasso d'Oro (Golden Compass) award with the following motivation: "The Commission deems that the object presented has the dual quality of a high design and aesthetic value and mass distribution. It also emphasises the innovativeness of the technical solution that, through the simple movement of a swivelling screen, grades the intensity of the flow of light." (Ottagono 8 / 1968)