First designed in 1921 by Bernard-Albin Gras, the Gras Lamp remains one of the most enduring icons of modern lighting design. Originally created for offices and industrial environments, it quickly stood out for its radical simplicity, ergonomic function, and structural ingenuity. Unlike many lamps of its era, the Gras Lamp’s basic form uses no screws or welded joints. Instead, it relies on a clever system of arms, rods, and joints that makes it both exceptionally strong and remarkably flexible.

This engineering breakthrough gave the Gras Lamp a distinctive character: robust enough for demanding industrial settings, yet elegant enough for creative studios and living spaces. Its articulated arm and adjustable shade allowed users to direct light precisely where it was needed, a functionality that was groundbreaking at the time and remains just as relevant today.

Celebrated architects and designers were among the first to embrace the Gras Lamp, incorporating it into their offices and projects. Figures like Le Corbusier praised its purity of design and integrated it into architectural spaces as both a tool and an aesthetic statement. Its clean lines and purposeful design exemplified the ideals of modernism—utility, clarity, and beauty without ornamentation.

Now reissued by DCW Editions, the Gras Lamp continues to embody the spirit of timeless design. Its versatile applications—whether as a desk light, wall fixture, or clamp lamp—make it as adaptable to contemporary interiors as it was to early 20th-century studios. More than just a functional object, it is a piece of design history that represents the perfect balance between technical innovation and aesthetic simplicity.

The Gras Lamp is not merely a lamp—it is a legacy of thoughtful design, still illuminating spaces with intelligence and elegance more than a century after its creation.