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Zig-Zag Lamp Environmental Design 2 | Spring 2010 Professor Tom Smith

The Cassina Zig Zag Chair was designed by Gerrit T Rietveld in 1934.

Using only four elements joined with a system of dovetailing, the Zig-Zag chair’s visual simplicity belies a relatively complex construction. This 1934 design is an expression of the “De Stijl� movement and is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Made of natural cherry, Zig-Zag can serve as a chair or a side table.

Inspired by the Cassina chair the Zig Zag lamp and book stand follows the angled planar design that makes the chair so unique. The dual nature of the Rietveld pice which can double as a night stand is continued over to the lamp/ bookstand. The expressive look of the chair is adapted with certain variations not only to capture the essence of the original design but also to present and evolution of the object. This vertically winding nature of the lamp is an integral part of its design due to its ability to create additional spaces for books and magazines while ultimately fulfilling its original purpose .

The lamp is fabricated from a framework of winding ribs and cladded with 1/32 in. wooden sheets and it houses a 20 Watt, 120 volt MR16 halogen bulb which provides the illumination. The device can be easily operated by plugging its cable to any common household outlet and simply flipping the on/off switch located on the lower left handside of the lamp.