My Tolomeo story

Roland Halbe

”I find it remarkable that this lamp appeared 30 years ago. ...

... To me, it seems eternally young, even today, and I still see it as the "new one" – the successor to the Tizio. In my studio, they both stand next to each other on the desk, but I have a special relationship with the Tolomeo: Wherever I photograph architecture in the world – in North America, South America, Asia or Europe – I see it everywhere. In private homes and also in offices. I myself use two Tolomeo Lettura as reading lamps at home, and in the living room a Mega Terra provides perfect room lighting. I like the fact that all the Tolomeo variants follow a clear language of form, despite being so diverse: attractively simple and yet elegant. Why has the Tolomeo become a design icon for architects in particular? Because it slots unobtrusively into any architectural environment and yet still creates a style. The light grey of the aluminium makes it look neutral yet positive – and its clear lines and its structure represent lightness and precision. This also explains why it so often happens that every single desk is provided with a Tolomeo in architectural offices. It's something that I often think about, as a photographer: I've lost count of how often, during a photo shoot, I've adjusted the arms of all the Tolomeos there accurately to the nearest millimetre – that's actually a constant challenge. ”

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