Designed as a prototype to furnish the VIP Lounge at miart 2019 commissioned by Flos, Wireline puts forward the principle of aestheticizing the lamp wire that had already started two years before with the Wirering project, also made for the Italian lighting company. The scale changes, the shape changes, but the craftsmanship philosophy remains the same. “The principle is to transform the power cord of a light source, which is usually hidden, into the main, iconic element of the lamp,” Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin from Formafantasma explain.

Wireline is designed for domestic and business/contract environments, it works very well when applied individually but gets its maximum expression when paired with other modules. The light it generates is warm and diffused and, unlike its sister Wirering, which can only be installed on the wall, it occupies the space scenically towards a more architectural scale. Once disassembled, it occupies very little space.

“Redesigning and manufacturing the electrical cable was the most complex part in the development,” the designers say. “We hypothesized smaller modules but the section of the bulb was visually disproportionate when shortened, so we decided to keep the proportions suggested in the installation we made at miart 2019: this way it fits well in both domestic spaces and larger rooms.”

In Wireline, the power cord has been flattened to look like a rubber strap hanging from the ceiling, holding a fluted glass extrusion containing the LED light source. The colored thermoplastic rubber is composed of a polymer blend that provides the necessary hardness to maintain its harmonious, sculptural silhouette.

The light diffuser, made of extra-clear borosilicate glass, hides the light source 360 degrees. The intensity of the light fades between the grooves, ensuring visual comfort, while the electrical components are embedded in stainless steel elements with a satin finish and feature a diamond-shaped surface made with CNC technology, which enhances its functionality. It is available in peach pink and forest green colours at a price of 2,900 euros.