GUBI's Bestlite: Form & Functionality
SPOTLIGHT
100 years of Bauhaus
2019 marks a centenary of Bauhaus; a rebellion against tradition that shaped design history like no other modern institution. GUBI's BestLite stems from the revolutionary changes that took place in the Bauhaus period between 1919 and 1933. The modernist movement founded by Walter Gropius, sought to break down the barriers between the practical crafts, industrialization, and fine art. Designs from that era brought functionality and simplicity to the forefront, displacing all superficial ornamentation.
A British Bauhaus Legend
Renowned in design circles and history books as Britain's first contribution to the Bauhaus movement, the BestLite design stays close to its industrial roots and true to its original design, first drawn up in 1930 by Robert Dudley Best.
Best - a keen design enthusiast on top of his prominence as a young industrialist - had spent the 1920s travelling around Europe meeting designers and furthering his interest in the modernist movement. Interested in breaking the barriers between industrial and artistic merit, Best's ideals were shared by his friend Walter Gropius of Bauhaus fame. On Best's return to the UK, he sat down to draw up the blueprints for the BestLite we have today.
Today, the BestLite collection features floor, suspension, table, and wall configurations.
With an adjustable stem, the BestLite floor lamp works angles with ease, making it perfect for providing desired directional light in any setting.
As the lamp was the first example of Bauhaus in the UK, strong arguments were needed before the lamp could be put into production. After a mention in the prominent architectural magazine Architects' Journal, the architectural community opened its eyes to the lamp's potential. BestLite gained everlasting fame when Winston Churchill placed it on his desk in Whitehall.
The versatile design of the GUBI BestLite dates all the way back to the 1930s.
"With a history that spans nine decades, the simple, elegant, timeless BestLite design has proven itself to be above and beyond fashion. Only the best modern classic designs can go the distance; BestLite is one such design."
- Jacob Gubi, Founder of GUBI
BestLite is held in permanent collections at both the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Design Museum in London. Loved by architects, designers, and design aficionados throughout its long history - today, BestLite has become a contemporary classic.
For more information on the BestLite collection and other stylish luminaires from GUBI, visit us Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna, and Winnipeg.