A table lamp in three parts, Chapeaux by Rodolfo Dordoni marks one of the last collaborations between the late Italian architect and designer and cutting-edge lighting manufacturer, Foscarini. Exuding an undeniable elegance and simplicity, the table lamp was conceived to have three personalities, three levels of light and three distinct styles.
Designed as three parts that simply rest against the other, Chapeaux features a near-invisible cylindrical Pyrex stem, a “floating” column of light that contains and conceals the technical components and a trio of interchangeable hats in three different – metal, glass and bone china.
Chapeaux’s transparent body means it remains unassuming until it’s turned on, at which time it casts a soft, indirect illumination that also brings the previously indiscernible thickness of the Pyrex form into view.
Foscarini developed a special lighting element just for Chapeaux – the light source is integrated within a vial that “radiates the glow, making it reflect at the sides, inside the diffusers, to reach the table top in an intense and functional but also soft and glare-free way at the same time.”
Widening at both ends like a funnel, the cylindrical stem provides a support for the three hats, each of which include a central top opening. Made from three separate materials, the individual hats express different characteristics and personalities.
The metal reflector version, Chapeaux M, is ideal for modern interiors and provides essential lighting to create function at a surface like a work desk; Chapeaux V is the blown-glass option and presents a contemporary take on tradition; while Chapeaux P is the bone china diffuser and highlights the inherent beauty of the material.
