"A symbol of success," the designer continued, "perhaps because its base resembles a column. We certainly had no prestige in mind when we designed it, we just wanted to create a cooling surface that would dissipate heat".
Therefore, the Flos Taccia lamp characteristic base is not inspired by classical art but rather designed to resemble a radiator, emphasizing the function of dissipating heat generated by the light source.
The evolution of Flos Taccia lamp
In 2010, the incandescent version was joined by a remote phosphor LED model. This solution eliminated possible overheating problems that could occur with the type of light source used until then, guaranteeing energy savings and a long service life. In addition, the LED lighting provided a perfectly homogeneous and natural lighting effect with faithful colour reproduction. Six years later, the Flos Taccia lamp was reissued in a version with a clear plastic cup diffuser, in keeping with the designers' original idea. In fact, the Achille Castiglioni Foundation archives reveal that the two brothers wanted to make the reflector out of plastic instead of glass, but had to abandon the idea because the heat emitted by the bulb deformed the material.The solution for the new century was to create a heat-resistant PMMA diffuser for the light sources, which had now switched to low-emission LED technologies. State-of-the-art injection moulding techniques helped achieve a perfect bell shape while maintaining surface uniformity inside and out. High-precision laser cutting techniques make the diffuser's injection points invisible. The transparency and brilliance of the methacrylate resist UV exposure over time.
In 2016, Taccia Small completed the family with a reduced size and new colour options, while maintaining the design of the original model.
The story of Flos Taccia lamp continues today thanks to the collaboration with the Achille Castiglioni Foundation.
With the exception of the cup-shaped diffuser, which remains in transparent blown glass, the Matte White finish of the 2023 special edition covers all the components of Taccia, from the plastic shapes of the base to the extruded aluminium body and the painted metal reflector, enhancing the design's purity.
Flos on Archiproducts