The Birth of a Luminous Pinocchio: When Modernism Meets Molten Glass
- Jun 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 2
During a prestigious tenure as the inaugural Designer-in-Residence at the Vignelli Center for Design Studies from 2023 to 2024, architect RZLBD, from Atelier RZLBD, was presented with a glowing challenge. Through an exclusive design workshop in partnership with the renowned Corning Museum of Glass, the assignment was clear yet demanding: ideate, design, and prototype a lampshade.
The result is not just a fixture that holds a bulb, but a whimsical, functional piece of art that invites us to turn on the light in our own minds.
Stepping Out of the Cartesian Comfort Zone
For an architect whose mind naturally operates in the rigid, precise language of Modernism, the hot shop was a wildly different world. RZLBD’s usual toolkit of milling, machining, and drafting on a Cartesian framework suddenly had to be traded for something entirely fluid.
Working with skilled gaffers and molten glass spinning at the end of a blowpipe meant fighting gravity in real-time. Glassblowing is an impromptu, fast-paced dance. There is no time to step back, erase a line on a drafting table, or carefully calculate a revision. The process is agile, acrobatic, and, above all, hot.
The glowing, glassy medium initially resisted the architect’s structured approach. Yet, after a few failed attempts and humbling lessons learned directly from the molten material, RZLBD found his rhythm and successfully produced a series of working prototypes.
The Anatomy of a "Thinking Head"
At its core, a lampshade exists to embrace a source of light. For RZLBD, light is far more than illumination; it represents knowledge, wisdom, and the journey from darkness into awareness. When pondering this metaphor, he was reminded of the story of Jonah in the belly of the whale. However, creating design within "Vignelli's land" called for an Italian adaptation. The perfect metaphor was Pinocchio.
The prototype wittily takes the shape of a thinking head. When the lamp is turned on, it serves as a visual cue to activate the mind. But this glass Pinocchio is not just a philosophical statement—it is highly functional. The head, nose, and neck are designed to set a playful stage. Owners can rest a hat on its crown, balance eyeglasses on its nose, or tie a scarf and bowtie around its neck.
Geppetto's New Creation
Just as the classic fairytale centers on a woodcarver bringing a boy to life, the architect naturally assumed the role of the creator in this fiery process. He crafted the lamp from scratch, breathing life into a new kind of character—making him, in a very real sense, a modern-day Geppetto.
As this charming glass figure lights up a room, it carries a simple, profound message from its maker:
"May Pinocchio remind us to keep the light on in our head." – RZLBD (Geppetto)
Project Credits
Ideation, Concept & Design: RZLBD (Reza Aliabadi)
Assistant Gaffers: Jeff Mack, Catherine Ayres
