giopato & coombes inflates bubble-like glass lamp

giopato & coombes inflates bubble-like glass lamp
all images courtesy of giopato & coombes

giopato & coombes editions is a brand that groups together products that the team follows from initial concept to delivery. these works take advantage of italian manufacturing excellence through a network of artisans, for example the murano furnaces, and update traditional manufacturing through contemporary design. the made-to-order production process, under the guidance of the giopato & coombes, allows for the customization of objects to the specific needs of interior projects. the entity has presented a hand-blown glass lighting system called ‘bolle’ at designersblock during the london design festival 2014. the fixture has been formed using floating soap bubbles as a metaphor for the emptiness of light.

the six-bowls version of the lamp

‘bolle’ is a suspension lamp in transparent glass, where the illuminating brass bulb is held between the spheres. this not only gives light to the space, but also to the curved surfaces, multiplying reflections to amplify the magical effect. making these formations possible is an italian technique known as ‘a lume’, an expertise within the veneto region. this method, even if hand-blown, has a higher level of precision allowing the possibility to assemble the spheres.

testing the suspension 

the project is available in two sizes that can combine into endless compositions, one with four balls and another with six. in contrast to the intangible appearance of the glass, the central body maintains a sense of functional rigor. the meticulous design development has simplified its shape into a cylinder, whose internal components are stacked and self-locking, without the need for screws. the double-sided LED bulb, specially-produced for this fixture, allows for downward and upward lighting.

the fixture in a living room

suspended over a bathroom countertop

lighting test

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.