«A little thing that I like a lot because it’s simple, a small invention that doesn’t even cost much. We combined two ideas from old lamps: the usual painted metal plate that was used in kitchens, and a very common industrial lamp, blending the virtues and discarding the flaws. In the first, the light was harsh, but the socket was rightly external; in the second, the light was protected, but the socket was internal and would heat up.» This is how Achille Castiglioni describes the Relemme, the lamp designed in 1962 for Flos together with his brother Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. But let’s find out more.

The lines of the Relemme are essential, and its construction uses simple yet sturdy materials, reflecting Castiglioni’s idea of making design accessible and functional without sacrificing aesthetics. This lamp is the result of combining two specific hanging lamps. One is the 19th-century lighting fixture already used by the designer, the RLM (Registered Luminaire Manufacturers), and the second is a simple stamped and then enameled metal plate lamp. All of this is framed by a visible external socket.

In designing the Relemme, the two brothers—eliminating the flaws of previously conceived fixtures—came up with a lamp that features a concave reflector made of lacquered and colored metal. The entire shape is designed to hide the external socket, creating a white reflective surface. The lower rim also has a black band that houses a ring inside with a very specific function: to protect the lamp from external impacts. Essential and functional at the same time.