TO-TIE by Flos

DESIGN GUGLIELMO POLETTI, 2022

October 13, 2022

“To-Tie is a collection of table lamps with a distinctive feature summed up in the name, which refers to the English verb to tie, to fasten. The construction of the lamp was born by putting in relation three simple elements: cable, bar and cylinder. The core of the project lies in the tensioning system, which outlines both the formal and functional qualities of the lamp, entwining them in a mutual bond. Thanks to the inspiring collaboration with Flos and to the company's unique know-how, my personal research on the theme of structural tension has been successfully translated for the first time into an industrial lighting.” Guglielmo Poletti

To-Tie: poetry emerging from rigor

Simplicity and rigor can generate poetry. The celebration of essentiality which shapes a design that is both spontaneous and sophisticated, as in the best tradition of Flos.

To-Tie (from English to tie, to fasten) is a new table lamp made up of a series of elements reduced to the bare minimum and held together by mechanical tension alone, without the need for screws, glues or welds.

In its spirit, the intuitions of the Castiglioni brothers and their ingenious ready-mades revive, making To-Tie a perfect fit with the Flos’ philosophy.

‘My objects’ explains Poletti, ‘originate from the art of making. I always start from physical studies, using materials to trigger intuition, rather than filtering ideas through a rationally driven design process. This translates into a constant search for single constructive gestures, around which the work develops. To-Tie is no exception, as it stems from a long-lasting personal research on the theme of structural tension, which, thanks to the inspiring collaboration with Flos and to the company's unique know-how, has been successfully translated for the first time into an industrial lighting.’

Born in 1987, Guglielmo Poletti is a designer with a rigorous and recognisable poetic. His consistent research on the mechanical properties of materials, taken to the limit of their performance, his experimental approach and an attitude that looks beyond passing trends make him perfectly aligned with the spirit of Flos.

A self-explanatory project

A light creation that enhances design transparency, To-Tie shows itself for what it is, in its apparently simple design. Direct and understandable, it does not need interpretations: its aesthetics derive from a clear constructive logic that leaves little room for arbitrary choices.

The clever structure of To-Tie allows its components to perform multiple functions. The light source is integrated in an anodised aluminum bar that not only emits light, but also acts as a handle to lift the lamp. Likewise, the fabric electrical cable, besides supplying power to the bar, allows to fix the latter to the borosilicate glass cylinder, whose extreme clarity highlights the geometric composition of the joint.

High quality, in three sizes and two finishes

Designed with a very high level of precision, and with the utmost attention to the nature of the respective materials, each element of To-Tie plays a central role in defining the functional aspects of the lamp.

The care for the detail and the refinement of each component make To-Tie a precious object: the borosilicate glass has a high degree of transparency and is finished by hand on the whole perimeter of the edges; the fabric electrical cable forms an harmonious as well as functional knot, and is secured by cable retainers specifically designed; the anodised aluminum bar has a special knurling which is also carried over into the customised switch command.

The collection is comprised of three different lamps, differentiated in their size and proportions according to the context for which they are intended: the smallest one can be used as a light next to the bed, the tallest one can find its perfect location on top of a console, while the largest one can be placed on a low table in a living room. The peculiar configuration of the structure confers the lamps an autonomous presence in the space, even when they are turned off.

The assembly method free of screws and glues allows the lamps to be easily disassembled in order to replace the components or to dispose of them correctly, facilitating the recycling process at the end of the product's life.

The To-Tie family is available in two anodised finishes, in the colors chosen by Poletti to emphasise the purity of the design: black and aluminum grey.