DesignThe Martinelli Luce Pipistrello table lamp is an absolutely iconic design of the 1960s. It was penned by the renowned Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti in 1965. The name "Pipistrello" goes back to the unusual shape of the lampshade. Its silhouette is reminiscent of the spread wings of a bat, hence "pipistrello", Italian for bat. The lampshade of the Martinelli Luce Pipistrello table lamp is made of opal white methacrylate, held by a sturdy aluminium base, which is available in several colours.
Gae Aulenti, the designer of the Martinelli Luce Pipistrello table lamp who died in 2012, was one of the best-known architects in Italy. She designed, amongst other things, the Musée D’Orsay in Paris and was also responsible for the reconstruction of the Paris Centre Pompidou. Aulenti was also quite successful as a product designer. She is, for instance, represented in the exhibition of the famous New York Museum of Modern Art with the Pipistrello table lamp. Besides Martinelli Luce, Gae Aulenti also worked for renowned manufacturers such as iGuzzini and Fontana Arte.