Leather-covered floor lamp by FJB Corsini for Metalarte 1950s

Magnificent floor lamp by Francisco Juan Barba Corsini for Metalarte. Spain, 1950s. A sublime and very rare piece by this fabulous designer. Polished brass structure partially covered in saddle-stitched leather. Brass tripod base. Adjustable height, from 125 to 180 cm. Francisco Juan Barba Corsini: In the rationalist tradition of Grupo R, the Catalan architect conceived of design as a discipline serving well-being. From the interior design of buildings in Barcelona to the entire construction of a village in Menorca, Binibeca, his projects illustrate his simple and emotional vision of design and reveal a fierce desire to connect them to the local, Mediterranean culture. The creation of the furniture in 1955 for La Pedrera by the modernist Gaudí was the culmination of his ideas. The La Pedrera Collection. In 1955, Barba Corsini was commissioned to renovate Antonio Gaudí's Casa Milà—known as La Pedrera—and transform what was then a simple laundry and storage space into thirteen apartments. He then designed a furniture collection that embodied his principles. The graphic silhouette of the chairs and bench resonates with the organic space of the interior, while the lamps and coffee tables reveal the influence of the Bauhaus and industrial styles. Since the apartment was demolished in 1996, the collection designed by Barba Corsini is the only remaining trace of this project. Both modern and traditional, the collection stands today as an example of his humanistic approach to design.