In the eye of Nans Bouchet: The Ará lamp by Philippe Starck

Perfectly summing up the spirit of the 80s, the Ará lamp is today the choice of Nans Bouchet, who presents us this design icon, from the irrepressible Philippe Starck…

Philippe Starck exhibits the characteristics of one of the few "super-designers" who succeeded in influencing a generation of designers and manufacturers and had a powerful impact on domestic and interior landscapes. He began his career as artistic director of Pierre Cardin. In 1984, his commission for the interior and furnishings of the Café Costes in Paris truly caught the eye of the public. With a skill for self-publicity and an eloquent charm, Starck welcomed the many opportunities that presented themselves. He approaches and understands new technologies both as a designer requiring their application and as a consumer wishing to adopt them.

In 1988, he made the Ará lamp. Equipped with a circular foot/base, a straight and tapered rod and an adjustable cover to protect and direct the light source, its design retains the characteristics of many lamps, but the originality lies in particular in the ignition system which performs by adjusting the head up and down. This design borrows characteristic language and forms from Starck's enormous portfolio of work. The Ará was made just as Philippe Starck's name was beginning to sound familiar internationally. Its name becomes a brand associated with high quality products. This lamp is an illustration of powerful sensibilities, design and marketing.

It is crafted from chrome-plated steel, which is highly reflective, evoking glamour, richness and a clever understanding of contemporary design. The organic lampshade, evoking a flame, is a form that Starck used throughout his work. It is found in particular in his creations of door handles, toothbrushes, on certain pieces of furniture, but also at the top of the Asahi building in Tokyo, which he created in 1990. This distinctive vocabulary makes Ará, a design classic. , but also an iconic object recognized as being designed by Starck.

The Arà lamp is both a technical and aesthetic challenge. Technique because Starck takes the G10 bulb at 35W and 12V, fitted with a protective lens; aesthetic with a horn that acts as a reflector but also as a switch, all protected by a heat-protecting lining. In a sense, it bends technology in the service of its image. So to turn it off, Philippe Starck forces the user to take it with full hand. Like taking a bull by the horns. Starck-style humor…

The organic flame-shaped lampshade is a form that Starck has used throughout his work, from door handles and small-scale toothbrushes to furniture, to the huge sculptural "flame" at the top of the 1990 Asahi building in Tokyo. It is this distinctive vocabulary that helps the Ará achieve classic status, while drawing attention to itself as a Starck-designed object.

The shade is articulated, like many other lamps, to meet functional requirements, but the balance between shade, column and base creates a cohesive whole that represents the successful and individual juxtaposition of Starck forms.

A great sensitivity emanates from this lamp, since it bears the first name of his daughter...