Modernist Three Light Fixture by RAAK, Amsterdam

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Modernist Three Light Fixture by RAAK, Amsterdam

About the Item

Dutch modernist three light wall or ceiling fixture by RAAK. Period 1960-65. Three spotlights in brushed aluminum and nickel on a lacquered metal rail. Marked with a label. The fixture is equipped with the original, regular (E26-E27) Edison screw lamp sockets. The design was originally intented to be used either with regular bulbs - as pictured - or PAR38 spotlights (both up to 100 Watts). Dimensions: height ceiling till drop 11.4 in. (29 cm), diameter of a sphere 7.0 inches (18 cm), length of the bar 23.6 inches (60 cm). These Modernist ball shaped spots were already introduced to the RAAK collection in the late 1950s. And by the early 1960s the company started to install them on rails as well. The fixture can either be attached to the wall or applied as flush mount. The direction of the shades can be adjusted individually: as they may be both tilted and turned by means of the joint in the stem. As electrical requirements vary from country to country, we recommend that you always have lights checked and installed by a local professional. ‘RAAK Lighting Architecture’ was founded in Amsterdam 1954. As the company name suggests, RAAK aimed at the professional market from the start on. In the 30 years RAAK existed it produced many daring models, quite often designed by prominent artists like Tapio Wirkkala, Sergio Asti, Casati & Ponzio and Lomazzi, D’Urbino & De Pas. The exceptional large and diverse creative output during the 1960s and 1970s makes the company Stand out in Dutch design history.

Creator:
RAAK (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 11.42 in (29 cm)Width: 23.63 in (60 cm)Depth: 7.09 in (18 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Aluminum,Metal,Nickel,Brushed,Lacquered
Place of Origin:
Netherlands
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1960
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Consistent with age and use: a small dent to one of the shades and some superficial scratches to the shades. Slight signs of oxidation to the stems.
Seller Location:
JM Haarlem, NL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU930323262012

Shop All RAAK

RAAK

In Dutch, “raak” means “to hit” or “to hit the nail on the head.” Lighting company RAAK certainly accomplished that with its unique mid-century modern designs of futuristic, Space Age metal lamps, pendants and other lighting creations.

RAAK was founded in 1954 by Carel O. Lockhorn (1923–2004), a former employee of the Philips Lighting company in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Under the tagline “Illuminated Architecture,” RAAK focused on producing elegant, sophisticated and modern lighting that would blend seamlessly with high-concept interiors.

During the 1960s, one of RAAK’s most well-known designs came from its in-house designer, Frank Ligtelijn, who created the Globe 2000 series of glass and chrome floor lamps, pendants and wall lights. Another key collaboration was with Dutch artist and glassmaker Willem van Oyen, who produced the iconic Chartres wall lights in 1964. Van Oyen’s Brutalist design evoked melted paintings and was inspired by the stained glass windows in the Chartres Cathedral in France.

In the 1970s, RAAK worked with several influential international artists, such as Italian designers Sergio Asti, Giotto Stoppino and Cesare Casati and Emanuele Ponzio, and Finnish designers Maija Liisa Komulainen (best known for her metallic, cylindrical Fuga lamp) and Tapio Wirkkala, creator of the handblown crystal Suomi pendant lamps.

Through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, RAAK enjoyed enormous success throughout Europe and worldwide for its modern lamps and decorative lighting. In 1974, Lockhorn sold RAAK to the furniture company ITT but remained its director until 1977. In 1980, RAAK merged with BIS Lighting and was renamed BISRAAK. Then, in 1999, the company entered into another merger, this time with Artilite B.V. and Indoor B.V., and became the Center for Light Architecture. It declared bankruptcy in 2011.

RAAK lighting continues to be highly coveted today among interior designers and avid vintage furniture collectors.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage RAAK lighting, decorative objects and more.