Halley, 2023 edition
WINNER OF THE GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023
Technologically sophisticated: an engineering work
Halley, an icon by Teutonic designer Richard Sapper, has arrived. Technological, functional, magical like a comet… This engineering work represents the sum of Sapper’s approach to design, inspired not only by the formal aspect but, above all, by the knowledge of processes and operations.
The performance of LED sources was the real starting point for Richard Sapper, who at the beginning of the 2000s was driven by the desire to experiment with what was then the greatest lighting innovation, an eldorado with immense potential but still unknown to many.
“When drawing, one does not think in words
but in three-dimensional images,
colourful, self-propelled
that you touch.”
Richard Sapper
A comet free to move
However, Richard Sapper, in deciding to design and sketch this lamp, was not solely influenced and inspired by the new LED technology. A self-respecting comet, in fact, needed a “tail”! Similarly, the lighting head of this incredible luminaire needed a ventilation system that allowed the cooling of the led sources, which at the time tended to overheat.
One of the basic principles of Sapper’s creation was total freedom of movement. To do this, he designed 6 joints, thanks to which it was possible to rotate its head and extend or retract its arms. Sapper tried to achieve total balance through an incredible compromise between the weights of all the components: this led to unprecedented fluidity and great handling. In fact, the lamp manages to move on the work surface with the same fascinating freedom as a comet that flies in space orbiting the earth, like the lamp around its balancing weight. Hence the name Halley.
The desk, the space
In normal daily use, a desk is often filled with countless things: stacks of magazines and/or books, note sheets, document holders, pen holders, calendars, various stationery. Today, compared to the early 2000s, there are also countless portable technological devices: smartphones and chargers, tablets, laptops, printers, headphones…
According to Sapper, in the difficulty of having a desk free from objects – even bulky ones – an arm lamp, rather than “imposing” a space for itself, had to find a location as discreet as possible and out of the of the designer’s range of action, so as not to hinder his work, illuminating with simplicity and immediacy, regardless of the objects that swarm on the surface top. The arm lamp had to live to illuminate the desk, not to be the protagonist.
The triangular base, unusual for this type of lamp, is designed to suggest a “corner” positioning on the desk, so as to leave the operating area in front of us free. The articulated nature and the thousand movements it allows you to perform allow you to get around any obstacle and always be “ready to use”: just two fingers to grasp the head that, obediently, can be accompanied almost anywhere on our surface. Like a comet, Halley walks across the desk, “her” deep space, to bring light where it’s really needed.
The contemporary edition
Today, in 2023, this masterpiece is full of technological updates, while maintaining the principles of operation and the unmistakably modern aesthetics.
Stilnovo, in re-editing and updating Halley, has accepted a challenge as difficult as it is fascinating, one of the most complex test benches. Today, thanks to the collaboration of the heirs of Sapper, we are proud to present the 2023 Edition of Halley.
The minimalist and modern design of the lamp, together with its technical and usable functions, goes well with contemporary needs.
The concept behind the complex construction and freedom of movement remains unchanged: an orbital structure that allows literally all possible movements, remaining stationary in its position, moving the head of the lamp and using only one hand. This is what we have renamed the “3D movement”.
“Technologically sophisticated, the lamp allows unlimited movement and positioning of the light without cluttering the workspace. These qualities are optimally reflected in its shape: light, dynamic and very elegant.”
Cornelia and Carola Sapper
Advanced technologies
The “3d movement” is given by the combination of the various rotations, thanks to 6 joints and 360 degrees of rotation. The joints allow the lamp to move freely and at any time in a three-dimensional space, unlike almost all table lamps currently on the market. The sphere acts as a balance for the weight of the appliance, ensuring stability.
Among the innovations introduced by the Stilnovo’s designers in collaboration with the heirs of the brilliant German designer. there are also new high-efficiency LED sources and warm-white light at 2700K or 3000K to guarantee top performance in terms of energy savings, making this lamp even greener. The back of the head (the “tail” of the comet), which once allowed it to cool down, is now free of the old dissipation system – no longer necessary – and incorporates a sophisticated proximity dimmer; thus, all you need to do is bring your hand one centimetre of the Halley to turn it on, off and adjust its light intensity.
Aesthetically, Halley features an elegant anodised aluminium frame in two versions – black or silver – and an aluminium head with an orange plastic back. The base is made of zamak.
A fusion of past and present that is projected into the future, for an agile work lamp capable of flooding the desk with light, moving lightly and fluidly over work tables and desks.
