Piero Gandini of FLOS

BY jesse

February 25th, 2011

“I was trying to understand how to inject a different spirit into what is considered purely functional and technical,” says FLOS CEO Piero Gandini of Soft Architecture, the latest range from the global lighting manufacturer.

The result is a series of lighting solutions that appeal to all the senses and engage the emotions.

Innovative and yet very much in keeping with the FLOS philosophy, Gandini describes Soft Architecture as “a different application of the same desires.”

Fittingly, Gandini’s analogy for the FLOS approach to design and the pursuit of innovation is a lit match – the fire of creativity and the original concept – that must be shielded and protected, never losing sight of the purity and perfection of the initial idea.

“The fire has to be protected. If you lose that in the process, you’re gone,” he explains.

This, he believes, is the secret to the quality of product – and the product is paramount.

“We are not a marketing-oriented company,” Gandini explains.

“We are a product-oriented company. We believe that every time we do something new, it is the ultimate. We are trying to understand what is good, with a strong belief that what we think is good is also good for others.

“We want to create passion. That is our commitment in the end.”

FLOS Soft Architecture is currently on display at Euroluce’s Sydney showroom.