Tatu Lamp: Santa & Cole Reissues 1970s Design Classic

santa cole tatu lamp

The Tatu lamp was designed by Andre Ricard in 1972 and originally produced by Metalarte, Spain.  We are delighted to report that Santa & Cole has reissued this fabulous award-winning design - an engaging piece that resembles a periscope allowing the user to twist sections of the lamp in order to direct the emitted light.

tatu lamp metalarte design magazine 1973

The original Tatu lamp featured in the pages of a design magazine in 1973 illustrates the original color range - black, white, yellow, and red - as well as the original packaging.

The idea for Tatu was conceived on a transoceanic flight while the designer observed that the light above his seat did not disturb his sleeping wife who was sitting right next to him.  The lamp's form was conceived as three sections that can rotate independently to adapt its use for a desktop, bedside table, or shelf - it could even be used as a wall light.

tatu lamp santa cole andre ricard

Santa & Cole's re-edition of Tatu is enhanced through its use of LED technology that allows the user to not only adapt the light intensity but it makes the light source considerably less hot and longer lasting than the original production.  Tatu's moveable converging lens also allows the user to adjust the focal length of the light.

tatu lamp andre ricard space 1999 set 1970s

Tatu won several awards when it was introduced in the early 1970s.  It quickly became a favorite for prop stylists creating futuristic space age sets for film and television throughout the decade like the Moonbase Alpha set from the series, Space 1999.

Santa & Cole recently reissued this design in a choice or white or red; price $745.  For more information about Tatu, please contact Switch Modern at 404-605-0196 or mail@switchmodern.com

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