The many ways of Italian Murano glass
The iconic “Sputnik” design
It refers to the first-ever satellite launched and put into orbit by the Soviets in 1957, which leads to the space age curiosity, the push towards the creation of NASA. Designs from this period looked increasingly to science for their inspiration. The Sputnik ceiling light was in fact part of the design period known as the Atomic Age.
Credit to the Italians!
It is believed that Italian engineer Gino Sarfatti was the first to use this shape in his lighting design. Born in Venice (1912), with an educational background in aeronautical engineering he became a designer by chance after a family friend asked him to turn a glass vase into a light fixture, which he achieved by placing the light component of a coffee maker inside the vase.
He made a significant contribution to innovating lighting design by experimenting with light sources, new materials and production methodologies.
