Minitopo, designed by Joe Colombo for Stilnovo in 1970, turns 50.

Minitopo is a fascinating object of automotive inspiration: the slits on the body are reminiscent of the vents on a 1960s sports car, whilst the lampshade’s form corresponds to the shell of the classic E27 bulb it contains, like the bodywork covering an engine. The resulting form resembles a little mouse (or, ‘topo’ in Italian), hence the ironic name. The light is can be directed via the black handle, which represents the mouse’s tail, positioned on the light reflector.