Stilnovo

Stilnovo is an Italian lighting manufacturer, originally from Milan, and an official partner of TAGWERC. The TAGWERC Design STORE offers a curated selection of lights from the original Stilnovo collection online. All other Stilnovo lights and spare parts are also available from TAGWERC upon request or directly in the showroom.

In 1946, on July 1st to be precise, Bruno Gatta founded Stilnovo in the heart of Milan, the Lombard metropolis. The very next year, Stilnovo participated in the 8th Milan Triennale and launched a comprehensive communications campaign in the industry's leading magazines right from the start. Two years later, in 1949, his brother Paolo joined Stilnovo. Paolo had just completed his studies, and in September of that year, the Gatta brothers founded Stilnovo SRL with a capital of 400,000 lire. This laid the foundation for a company history that rapidly gained momentum and established the company as a benchmark for modern lighting far beyond the borders of Italy. In addition to the Milan Triennale, Stilnovo participated in international exhibitions, such as the one in Oslo, Norway, in 1951.

Collaboration with leading designers

Stilnovo, from the Italian "stil novo" – "new style" – is dedicated to the production of modern lighting solutions. The Stilnovo lighting collection perfectly captures the spirit of the times. At the same time, the Italian lighting manufacturer benefited from the "boom economico," the era of the so-called economic miracle. In Italy, the 1950s and 1960s were all about connecting Italy to the global market. For Stilnovo, this also marked the beginning of collaborations with leading designers of the second half of the 20th century.

Stilnovo Design Timeline

In 1957, it was the brothers Achille and Piergiacomo Castiglioni, who designed the two pendant lights under the name Saliscendi for the new Chamber of Commerce in Milan, which were manufactured by Stilnovo. In 1965, Giovanni Luigi Gorgoni designed the Buonanotte lamp, which was already being manufactured by Stilnovo in their newly opened factory in Linate. In 1969, the Bazooka family of lamps was launched by Joe Colombo nominated for the Compasso d'Oro. In the same year, it was the lamp. Gràvita, designed by Antonio Macchi Cassia for Stilnovo. At the beginning of the 1970s, things moved quickly, with new lighting classics added every year: Topo, Minitopo and Triedro (all 1970) by Joe Colombo, Lampiatta from the design trio De Pas, D'Urbino and Lomazzi (1971) and Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni designed the Trepiù lighting system (1972). It was released in 1977. Ettore Sottsass, who is known for the radical design of his lighting designs Don and Valigia, which in the later 1980s would give rise to the Memphis design group. De Pas, D'Urbino and Lomazzi designed the Fante Lamps that can be easily adjusted using a reflector on the lamp head, which resembles a woman's hat. The portable Minibox lamp, designed by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni, was created in 1981. Finally, the Luna lamp by Shigeaki Asahara, from 1985, completes Stilnovo's portfolio of classic designs.

40 years of success

For over forty years, Stilnovo has enjoyed success and occupies a leading position in the lighting industry. Stilnovo designs are represented in leading design museums worldwide. Lighting icons from Achille and... Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Livio Castiglioni, Piero Castiglioni, Gae Aulenti, Joe Colombo, Antonio Macchi Cassia, Ettore Sottsass Junior – to name just a few – contributed to Stilnovo achieving a cult status that did not diminish even when Stilnovo initially ceased production in the 1980s.

Linea Light Group goes Stilnovo

In 1988, this thread was initially broken when Stilnovo abruptly ceased production. In 2019, the Italian Linea Light Group rediscovered the Stilnovo brand and revived a design history that began at Stilnovo over 70 years ago. However, this revival was not without incorporating Linea Light's outstanding expertise in LED lighting into the Stilnovo production. In other words, the reissues of these iconic lighting designs are faithfully reproduced according to the original historical concepts, but manufactured using modern materials, equipped with LED technology, and in compliance with current safety regulations. Alongside these design classics, the collection also includes contemporary lighting fixtures.

Stilnovo – back to the future

Stilnovo is back, bringing with it a unique array of design classics conceived by the great designers of our time. The values and principles of the company's founder, Bruno Gatta, remain unchanged, adapted to new materials and technologies. Stilnovo is represented at the TAGWERC Design STORE with a selection of classic lighting designs, both past and present. As an official Stilnovo distributor, TAGWERC offers all original designs and genuine spare parts for lighting fixtures in the Stilnovo collection. Discover the fascinating stories behind the Stilnovo lighting classics at TAGWERC and order Stilnovo products conveniently from home, or experience the unique Stilnovo design firsthand in the TAGWERC showroom.