Sonneveld House
Gispen supplied no fewer than twenty-two different lamps for Sonneveld House, selected from the Giso lamp catalogue no. 29 (1929): lamps with elementary forms such as cones, cylinders and spheres. In 1926 Gispen introduced an entirely new form of lighting in the Netherlands with the Giso range of lamps.
The Giso lamps were made from crystal glass covered with a thin layer of opal glass. The ‘Giso glass’ allowed more (and whiter) light to penetrate than the conventional milk glass, but without glare, making the lamps more energy efficient. Another important aspect of the Giso lamps was standardisation: a limited number of basic standard elements could be combined to create a great variety of lamps.
But there was also a place for more traditional and decorative lamps in the house: the lamp above the dining table, the lamps in the studio and in this bedroom have fabric shades. This concession to tradition came from the family’s desire for luxury and comfort.