The Gubi 9602 Lamp Is A Design Classic

Designed in the 1930s, this bright idea leaves others in the shade.

“I love the elegance of the shapes, from the sharpness of the top of the cone shade to the super-fine cane-wrapped stand,” says Sarah-Jane Pyke, co-founder of Australian design firm Arent & Pyke, of Paavo Tynell’s 9602 floor lamp. “Classical balance with earthy beauty.”

Also known as the Chinese Hat lamp, 9602 was designed in 1935 and became one of Helsinki-born Tynell’s best-known creations. Although it’s graced smart interiors for decades, the 9602 has been back in the limelight since it was reissued by Gubi in 2018.

A trained tinsmith and blacksmith, as well as the co-founder of Helsinki art foundry Oy Taito Ab, Tynell collaborated with leading architects, including Alvar and Aino Aalto, the pioneers of Scandinavian design. The foundry was the first industrial producer of lighting fixtures in Finland and with the introduction of electricity, Tynell was at the forefront of innovation. He melded material knowledge with traditional craftsmanship and new technology to create lighting solutions both in Europe – where he was known as “the man who illuminated Finland” – and the United States, where he designed lighting for the office of the secretarygeneral in the United Nations building and collections for prestigious American company Lightolier. He also fashioned wedding rings for his friends the Aaltos.

Pre-war designs tended to be more streamlined but Tynell’s flair for materiality shone through, with the 9602 floor lamp, designed for the Hotel Aulanko in Hämeenlinna, being one of the best examples. Its brass stand entwined with cane and peaked wicker shade capped in brass form a beautiful piece that, says Pyke, “works so well standing over a sofa or armchair”.

While Tynell died in 1973 aged 83, his Snowflake chandeliers from the 1940s and early 1950s regularly fetch six figures at international auctions. At $1649 from Cult, the 9602 lamp is an affordable investment in Tynell’s legacy.

SEE MORE: Why The Iconic Camaleonda Sofa is Staging a Comeback