Wall lamp "VISIR" V 176 B – Lennart Centervall for IKEA, 1977

Design Era Space Age
Designer Lennart Centervall
Period 1977

Material Plastic, metal
Manufacturer  IKEA

Dimensions (W×H×D)  17 × 13 × 19 cm 
Condition  very good with slight signs of wear

History 

-        A striking design from an experimental phase of Swedish IKEA design. The VISIR wall lamp was designed in 1977 by Lennart Centervall, one of the key designers of the early IKEA lighting range.

The rarer V 176 B version offered here features a black, concentrically arranged grille of slats positioned in front of the glossy red hemisphere. The deeply recessed rings give the lamp a pronounced spatial effect and create an appealing contrast to the smooth, solid form of the housing. At the same time, they shield the light source from direct glare and allow light to escape through the gaps between them. The technical construction thus becomes an essential design element in itself.

The model name VISIR refers to the version with a swivelling, visor-like shade. The V 176 B variant adopts the basic form of the series, but interprets the light shielding in its own distinctive way through the characteristic grille of slats.

Lennart Centervall joined IKEA in 1969 after previously working for the Danish lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen. At IKEA, he initially worked in the lighting department's purchasing section before designing lamps himself. His close connection to production and manufacturing is also evident in VISIR: few components, clear geometry, and a well-thought-out construction in which form and function naturally come together.

With its hemispherical silhouette, bold red colour and black grille of slats, the VISIR V 176 B unmistakably embodies the futuristic design language of the 1970s. A characteristic example of the combination of Scandinavian lighting design, industrial manufacturing, and the playful aesthetics of the late Space Age.