Coppia Table Lamp
By Vibeke Fonnesberg Schmidt
The Coppia Table Lamp is a new sculptural twin-bulb table lamp designed for GUBI by Vibeke Fonnesberg Schmidt. Featuring two discs of Fonnesberg Schmidt’s signature plexiglass housed in a curving metal case, the elegantly industrial design represents both a new material and a new designer for GUBI. The fluid yet geometric design is sturdy enough to be used as either a table or floor lamp, moving easily from desktop to bedside, shelf to windowsill as desired. Coppia is available in tempered, brushed stainless steel, its bronze glow contrasting with a choice of three nature-inspired plexiglass colorways: Ivory/Blush, Ivory/Olive, and Ivory/Clover.
PLAYING WITH GEOMETRY
Named for the Italian word for ‘couple,’ the Coppia Table Lamp by Vibeke Fonnesberg Schmidt walks the line between design and sculpture – a characteristic of much of her work as a lighting designer. Coppia sits at the intersection of art, design, and craft, finding beauty by playing with geometry.
MEETING OF MATERIALS
True to its name, Coppia is a design that celebrates pairings, meetings, and dualities. In Coppia, Fonnesberg Schmidt brings together two materials – stainless steel and plexiglass – in a double-shaded table lamp. Elegantly contoured, the lamp is formed from two sets of plexiglass discs in different sizes, pinned in place within a band of curved stainless steel, thus maintaining the shape of the lamp.
SIGNATURE AMBIANCE
In Coppia, the discs soften and diffuse the light from the central bulbs, creating a beautiful reflection on the surface of the steel. Openings in the structure where the folded metal joins invite the gaze to explore the interior of the light and fully appreciate the depth of the design. In this coming together of light, form, and material, Coppia is elevated to the status of sculpture, influencing the ambiance with color and shape.
HIGH-SHINE FINISH
Coppia marks the first use of a new material for GUBI – plexiglass, or acrylic, which has become Fonnesberg Schmidt’s signature as a lighting designer. Lighter than glass, the material can be easily cut into almost any shape, as well as cast in a multitude of different colors. Simple and minimalist while also being playful and decorative, the lamp owes its distinctive character to the meeting of materials and the contrasts that result – the hard, matte surface of the brushed metal versus the colorful, high-shine finish of the plexiglass
TWO ORIENTATIONS
A strong sturdy base allows Coppia to be positioned in two orientations, balanced on either the larger or smaller disc, and makes it suited to use as both a table and floor lamp, moving easily from desktop to bedside, shelf to windowsill as desired. Wherever and however it is placed, Coppia makes an artistic statement whether or not it is switched on.
DISTINCTIVE BRONZE GLOW
Two stainless steel bands come together to form the self-supporting structure that holds and is sustained by the two plexiglass discs. The steel is tempered and brushed, which gives it a distinctive bronze glow thanks to a heat-induced reaction that changes the alloy’s color without compromising its structural properties.
VIBEKE FONNESBERG SCHMIDT
Working at the intersection of design, art, and craft, Vibeke Fonnesberg Schmidt was born in Denmark, but her creative career began in Japan, where she first studied ceramics. She continued her education back at the Danish School of Design and began a successful career as a studio potter. Over the years, her work has been featured in numerous galleries and museum exhibitions and is notably represented in the collections of institutions including Trapholt Museum for Modern Art and Design and Designmuseum Denmark.
From her studio in central Copenhagen, Fonnesberg Schmidt hand-builds unique sculptural lighting and bespoke chandeliers, most often combining plexiglass discs with fixings in metal, usually brass. As is customary in her work, Fonnesberg Schmidt took geometry as her starting point for Coppia, and the harmony inherent in the shape of the circle in particular.
