giacomo ravagli: barometro lamps

‘barometro lamps’ by giacomo ravagli images courtesy of giacomo ravagli / © diana marrone

italian designer and marble sculptor giacomo ravagli has created barometro lamps. the collection, produced in collaboration with edizioni nilufar for milan design week 2011, is the first for the young designer.

composed of copper and rare italian marble, the lamps – available in floor and table versions – represent a time and labor intensive process. chosen for its beauty and the rarefaction of its quarrying, the blocks of marble are all unique in their form and coloring.

‘barometro’ table lamp

geometric lampshades, formed by the delicate twisting and splicing of copper, contrast the organic but angular bases. presented in its natural beauty, the handmade shades will eventually patina, reflecting its aging beauty.

detail of copper shade and marble joint

‘in the beginning I didn’t have much money to invest, and the marble is expensive. so I decided to work on some leftover of rosso levanto marble I had from a previous commission. what I did is basically give a rational shape to the irrational and irregular form of the row pieces, then sanded and polished, like diamonds. for the copper lampshades I decided the form and size in an endless game of golden proportion with the marble base’

chunks of marble that will become the base

quarry

blocks of excavated stone

designer giacomo ravagli

leveling the base of the marble

sanding the stone

tools

construction of copper shades

top view

a collection of shades before being completed

3/4 of unfinished table lamp