Joe Colombo was an Italian designer and architect who was active in the 60s. He is known for his innovative and futuristic designs, including furniture, lighting, and other household objects. Colombo’s work was influenced by the emerging technology and space age aesthetic of the time, and he is particularly famous for his use of plastic and other modern materials in his designs.

Colombo’s 60s lamps are highly sought after by collectors and design enthusiasts due to their unique and distinctive style. Some of his most famous lamp designs include the ‘Optical Lamp’ which features a series of concentric rings that rotate to adjust the intensity of the light. The Joe Colombo lamp ‘Cabriolet’ has a flexible arm that allows it to be adjusted to different positions. The Joe Colombo lamp ‘Acrilica‘ was another marvel of design and probably the ultimate application of PMMA properties to lighting: it transports and transfers the light to the top of the luminaire itself thanks to the thick curved methacrylate.

But Joe Colombo created a wide range of products during his career, collaborating with many italian high tier makers like O-Luce, Stilnovo, Elco, Bieffeplast. Some of his most famous design creations include ‘Boby’ and ‘Robo’ Trolleys and ‘Elda’ chair.

‘Boby‘ is a small and portable storage unit on wheels that could be used in a variety of settings. It featured a minimal and functional design, and was made from plastic and metal. ‘Robo‘ is a small round trolley with a distinctive and anthropomorphic design. Elda chair was designed for both indoor and outdoor use, and featured a sleek and modern appearance. It was made from a single piece of molded plastic.

“All objects that are needed in a house must be supplementary to the usable space; therefore they should no longer be called furniture, but rather “equipment”. Joe Colombo 1970