High quality glass is the dominating design feature and hallmark of Fontana Arte lights and evidence of the Italian manufacturer's roots in glassmaking. The architect Gio Ponti founded Fontana Arte as an artistic division in the company Luigi Fontana, historically, the leading company in glass manufacturing and design. The design company's works were first distinguished by its realization of artistic stained -glass windows, many of which are today still functional and ornamental elements in churches and cathedrals, among them the Duomo of Milan and the cathedral of Brasilia.
Gio Ponti realized what an enormous potential glass could offer in the making of furniture complements and started to design and produce lamps, furniture and objects with glass as the main characteristic feature. For more than 75 years now, Fontana Arte designs and produces timelessly beautiful and elegant designer lights, that have ever since been the result of the close relationship between creativity and a productive capacity open to innovation. Outstanding designers like Piero Castiglioni, Ettore Sottsass or Matteo Thun had a share in the success story of Fontana Arte.
At the same time Fontana Arte has been focusing on precious materials such as mouth-blown glass, metal or brass.
The collection of Fontana Arte includes design classics like the Fontana Arte Parola designed by Piero Castiglione and Gae Aulenti in 1980 which is at the same time well-proportionate, functional and gracefully beautiful. It also comprises more recent and innovative table lamps like Fontana Arte Loop (2003). Loop looks like a sea-shell and its two sides can be separated using the central axis for rotation. Then, the light emitted from the inner-side of the shell is liberated. Besides these, Fontana Arte offers simple but expressive table and floor lamps like the series Fontana Arte 3247 and 2198. These combine classic lamp shapes with high quality materials like satined glass, nickel-plated metal or pear-wood and sophisticated functionality like separately switchable lights for direct and indirect illumination. One thing is true for most of Fontana Arte lights: their extraordinary beauty is often only revealed at second sight, as soon as one realizes the quality of the precious materials used and the love put in every detail.