Prices include 17.5% VAT and UK mainland delivery
Design
Jordi Maralbell & Mariona Raventos, 1996
Manufacture The Nova is an energy-saving lamp, inspired by the best American design.
The Nova’s mushroom-shaped metal shade is reminiscent of American desk lamps from the 30s and 40s but it uses a fluorescent tube instead of old-fashioned incandescent bulbs. The low heat emission of fluorescent tubes enabled a streamlined form to be adopted which elegantly conceals the tube. In the hanging version, an attractive cylinder provides the counterweight for a traditional height-adjustable pulley system.
Rationalist design provides intelligent technical solutions: the movement of the cylindrical counterweight is cushioned by a hidden spring which stops it striking the shade. The end of the pulley is hidden in the ceiling rosette. Because the fluorescent tubes do not heat up, the lamp can be raised and lowered without burning one’s fingers.
The metal shade is made using the lost wax technique, a process that dates back to the Middle Ages. Craftsmen shape metal sheets on lathes, using burins a technique which requires considerable skill and precision. The inside of the metal shade is painted in a light mother-of-pearl tone to give the fluorescent lamps a warmer feel. A translucent screen beneath the bulbs is used to conceal the tubes and to shed the light more evenly.
Nova lamps are currently available in a table model and two versions of the hanging lamp.
Dimensions
Height 13cm, Diameter 56cm, Cylinder height 30cm.
Lamp Type
Max. 3x20W 230V E27 TC EL.