Gio Ponti starts as Luigi Fontana’s art director
Gio Ponti, former founding editor of Domus magazine, is invited to take over the company’s art direction in 1931. An eclectic character who is a key player in the cultural ferment of that period, Ponti is also one of the founders of ADI (the Italian Industrial Design Association). He curates the Milan Triennale events on various occasions, lectures at the Milan Polytechnic, and designs both public and private buildings, furnishings and objects that become part of the history of architecture and design. Among the numerous projects that he designed for FontanaArte, the iconic 0024, Bilia, Pirellina, and Pirellone lamps, and the Tavolino 1932 coffee table are still in the collection.
Gio Ponti’s first Fontana icon: the 0024 hanging lamp
The 0024 light is based on the most quintessential of shapes – the sphere – and comprises layers of transparent 2D elements separated by spaces. As Gio Ponti’s hanging lamp celebrates its 80th anniversary it remains an unfailing and amazing paradox as ever, confirming its enduring fame as an icon of contemporary design. A total of 11 transparent tempered glass discs are stacked horizontally down a tubular light source in sandblasted glass. This diffuser is capped top and bottom by chrome-plated brass, the same material used for the frame that keeps the discs equidistant. Today’s version fits a fluorescent light source for unbeatable lighting quality combined with reduced energy consumption. An XXL model, measuring 150 cm, triples the diameter of the classic version and its jumbo personality brings timeless elegance even to the largest of interiors.