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The cube-formed Lotek, supplied as a do-it-self kit and easy to assemble, is a real Dutch design classic. Invented by Benno Premsela, manufacturing started in 1982.
In 1981 Benno told at first of his design: "a lamp which would make all other lamps superfluous." With much feeling for drama, the interior designer showed his irritation that he - in search for illumination - always had trouble in finding a decent lamp. Either they were too showy, produced a bad illumination or proved to be static. And when a lamp was satisfactory it was mostly exorbitant expensive.
His design solved all these problems at once: it was reserved in shape, payable and it spread a good light. His solution was based upon a traditional process. A bulb with fitting and wire, a cube-formed shade with legs of iron-wire.
A year later the design came on the market. Still the Lotek is one of the Dutch best selling lamps. The prototype was 120 cm high and had a mechanic to move the cube up and down. This proved to be too expensive for production. The cost price had to stay low.
Together with the manufacturer, Eikelenboom, the present solution has then been found. This made a industrial process possible.
Especially Eddy Tjon of the Premsela Vonk Office worked intensively at the development of the Lotek. The name Lotek was invented by Premsela himself and indicates at the ‘low-tech’ which is necessary to assemble the lamp. At the same time it sounds a bit Japanese, fitting by the eastern image of the design. The design is inspired on the paper lamps of the Japanese Isamu Noguchi.
The Lotek lamp comes with the sets of legs in different length. Extra bars of 30, 60 and 90 cm are standard delivered with the lamp. This offers the user the opportunity to vary the height of the lamp, from a table to floor model. Height can vary from 30 to max. 120 cm.
Steel and fabric (vlieseline). W:35 x D:35 x max H:120 cm.
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