Flos, Nebula and the Castiglioni Brothers

The success of Flos lighting is due, in part, to the genius of brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, who created many of the company’s most significant lighting achievements. The Luminator, Compasso d’Oro award winner in 1955, Taraxacum, Gatto, and Arco, still a best seller for Flos though it was created by the pair way back in 1962, are just some of the legendary lights Achille and Pier have forged for Flos.

Italian AD profiled the brothers in last year’s November issue, and with good reason. Flos’ stature as modern lighting innovators is matched only by their employer’s commitment to the arts. The company sponsors an exhibition of art and film through May of this year at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. The company also won “best floor lamp” honors from Wallpaper Magazine this year, for its Tab lamp.

Flos’ vision draws luminary artists who speak the company’s language, who draft creations that define the course of modern lighting. The debut of the Nebula (approx. $10,000), a suspension light made from blown glass cones arranged in an erratic cluster, is a fine example. Die-cast aluminum, polycarbonate, and glass become a statement in lighting by design.