Design Matters: Tizio lamp that lit many creative offices

Few fittings say 1980s’ architect’s studio louder than the sleek Tizio lamp. The desk lamp – reminiscent of an elegant crane – was designed by German industrial designer Richard Sapper (1932-2015) for Artemide in 1972 and it was quickly taken up enthusiastically as the office light of choice by all kinds of designers and creative types. And it’s easy to see why.

It was the first lamp to use a halogen bulb – up to then halogen bulbs were mostly for cars – so it brought the excitement of introducing new technology into the home or work environment.

Then there’s the German engineering – altering the position of the light in its painted aluminium casing takes the gentlest of touches: forget fussing and tightening knobs, the two counterweights do the work and keep the light aimed at the task in hand.

The Italian influence delivers a spare sophisticated look: the lack of visible wires further helps the Tizio stand apart from its older, distant cousin – the Anglepoise lamp. A transformer hidden in the Tizio base powers the bulb with the electrical current running through the graceful metal rods – another innovation in the undeniably clever design.

The Tizio’s matt black finish is the original and the best seller – although other colours are now available as is a floor model. The Tizio won the Campasso d’Oro award for industrial design in 1979 and is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.