The lotus—a flower celebrated for its ability to thrive and bloom in demanding, challenging conditions—has long stood as a universal symbol of resilience. Now, more than five decades after its original debut, another design bearing that evocative name is getting a second life. Acclaimed Italian design brand Gubi has officially revived the sculptural table lamp, bringing Carlo Nason’s visionary 1969 design back into active production for contemporary interiors.
First introduced by Italian glassmaker Carlo Nason in 1969 under the product designation LT305, the striking light fixture remained in production for only a brief period. Despite its limited initial run, the lamp went on to develop a dedicated cult following among high-end design collectors and connoisseurs of mid-century Italian lighting. Over the years, these enthusiasts affectionately nicknamed it the "Lotus lamp," a moniker that Gubi has now officially embraced and adopted for its high-profile global revival.
"It was a very natural decision," says Gubi CEO Marie Kristine Schmidt, reflecting on the choice to formally adopt the collector-given nickname. "Collectors had already given the lamp a name that captures the design beautifully. The name had become part of the design’s identity and history, and we wanted to respect that."
The design’s enduring appeal serves as a testament to just how ambitious and forward-thinking Nason’s creation was when it first debuted on the international design stage. Growing up immersed in a renowned family of Murano glassmakers, Nason acquired an extraordinary, expert command of the Venetian island’s legendary glassblowing traditions. Yet, while most of his familial peers and generational contemporaries applied their hard-earned skills to crafting highly decorative, ornate forms, Nason possessed a distinct creative vision. He was intensely eager to move away from traditional decorative arts and push toward more experimental, contemporary directions in industrial design.
Deeply influenced by the broader cultural and aesthetic rise of industrial product design—particularly the futuristic Space Age style that captured the global imagination during the 1960s—Nason developed the LT305 lamp with a bulbous, streamlined silhouette. But hidden behind this deceptively pared-back profile is a remarkably complex exercise in glassmaking. The architectural light fixture is composed of four distinct, mouth-blown glass shades, with each individual element nested precisely within the next to create an overlapping, organic arrangement that immediately calls to mind a lotus flower slowly opening in full bloom.
"The four layers of mouth-blown glass give it an almost architectural presence," Schmidt notes, emphasizing the physical and visual depth of the construction.
This intricate, multi-layered construction method also contributes directly to the lamp’s carefully calibrated, ambient glow, which remains remarkably free from both harsh glare and unwanted shadows. While the design’s opaque central portion—where its four individual shades overlap one another—completely obscures the internal light bulb from direct view, the fixture’s graceful outer curves, expressed through just a single layer of translucent glass, exhibit a delicate and inviting transparency.
Adding further to the design’s dynamic sense of visual depth, each mouth-blown shade is produced using a traditional Murano glassmaking technique known as "pulegoso." In this specialized process, small air bubbles are intentionally blown into the molten glass, imparting a heavily textured, semi-opaque appearance that catches and diffuses light in unexpected ways. Originally developed in the 1920s, this historic method highlights the immense human skill, patience, and artistry required behind every single element of the fixture.
"Each of the four shades is mouth-blown, and the natural variations in the glass and the distribution of the bubbles mean that no two lamps are exactly alike," Schmidt explains, highlighting the artisanal nature of the product. "I think that is an important part of the design’s appeal. The craftsmanship is visible, and it gives each piece its own distinct character."
While remaining fiercely faithful to Nason’s original structural specifications and aesthetic intentions, Gubi did introduce one vital contemporary refinement to the engineering of the piece. The lamp’s robust steel base, which securely houses the internal bulb socket and anchors the heavy array of four glass shades, has been thoroughly re-engineered to provide greater stability and durability. This updated internal construction also makes it considerably easier to safely disassemble the lamp for routine cleaning and light bulb replacement.
"These are discreet improvements that do not change the expression of the design but ensure that it works beautifully in everyday use," Schmidt notes. "Whenever we bring a design back into production, our starting point is to understand the original intention and preserve what makes it special. We worked closely with Nason’s son, Alberto, throughout the development process."
The collaborative result is a faithful reissue that successfully preserves the striking sculptural character that has made the Lotus a coveted favorite among design collectors for decades.
"A design has to earn its place in the Gubi Collection," Schmidt says, outlining the brand’s curatorial philosophy. "We look for pieces with a strong identity, a distinct point of view, and qualities that make them as relevant today as when they were first created. Lotus has all of those qualities."
Nason’s passing earlier this year gives this major commercial revival added emotional significance, framing it as a meaningful continuation of his celebrated creative legacy. Alberto Nason has expressed deep gratitude, noting that Gubi’s meticulous reissue will finally allow a much larger global audience to experience his father’s groundbreaking design firsthand.
"The more you observe it, the more it unfolds, layer by layer, allowing you to discover its beauty over time," Alberto reflects. "There is a quiet magic to it: a softness, a depth, a tactile presence that makes the light feel almost like a material in itself."
Like the resilient flower it is named for, the Lotus is officially back in bloom. The Lotus Table Lamp is now available directly through gubi.com and select retail partners worldwide.
