Gubi Reissues Carlo Nason's 1969 'Lotus' Lamp in Murano Glass

Gubi has brought back Carlo Nason's 'Lotus' lamp, a four-layered, mouth-blown Murano glass piece originally created in 1969 as the 'LT305' and renamed after the nickname collectors gave it. The Danish design company developed the reissue in close collaboration with the designer and his son, Alberto Nason.

The launch carries particular weight because of its timing. Nason, a Venetian lighting designer who worked at the intersection of art and design, died in May 2026. "It gives us the opportunity to celebrate his work and bring renewed attention to a designer with a very independent and original point of view," said Gubi CEO Marie Kristine Schmidt.

Nason occupied the abstract, experimental end of midcentury Italian lighting design, a field that ranged from the overly decorative to the sci-fi inspired, from the sculptural to the purely industrial. A Murano glass expert, he explored the sculptural possibilities of the material and was instrumental in putting Murano on the global design map. His most creative glass experiments include lighting objects that push the material's boundaries with explosive, futuristic forms that remain technically challenging to produce.

"Carlo Nason grew up with an extraordinary knowledge of Murano glassmaking, but he was not defined by its traditions," Schmidt told Wallpaper*. "He looked beyond Murano to industrial design in Milan, Northern European modernism, photography, and the world around him, and brought those influences into his work."

Schmidt cited the designer's independence and practicality as qualities she admires. "There is an intelligence and practicality to his designs that I find very compelling. He thought about how a lamp was made, assembled, cleaned, and used, without compromising the beauty of the object. Nothing feels unnecessary," she said.

Four shades, one steel core

The 'Lotus' was produced for only a few years after its 1969 creation. It formed part of Nason's recurring exploration of multi-layered glass compositions within a single object. The lamp consists of four individually mouth-blown glass shades fitted over a compact steel structure that carries the glass's weight, maintains the precise distance between each layer, and conceals the light source.

The shades use pulegoso glass, a technique that produces thousands of tiny bubbles and natural variations during the making process. "The 'Lotus' looks simple, but making it is incredibly demanding," Schmidt said. "So there is a very precise construction, but you can still see the hand of the maker. No two lamps are completely identical. That balance between precision, craftsmanship, and individuality is what makes the 'Lotus' so special."

A growing archive beyond Scandinavia

The 'Lotus' joins a Gubi collection of reissued archival designs from figures including Gabriella Crespi and Pierre Paulin, alongside contemporary commissions from studios such as Gam Fratesi and Space Copenhagen. The approach extends the Scandinavian brand beyond its geographical confines while playing a part in preserving some of the past century's key creative moments.

Schmidt was clear that historical significance alone does not justify a reissue. "For Gubi, being historically important is not enough reason to bring a design back. It has to be relevant today," she said. "We have to believe that people will want to live with it now, not simply admire it because of its history. The 'Lotus' is a good example. Carlo Nason designed it more than 50 years ago, but the way he thought about lighting feels very relevant today."

She added that the reissue serves a second purpose: "Bringing back the Lotus is also about telling Nason's story and introducing his work to a new audience. That is an important part of Gubi's role when we reintroduce historical design."