Award-Winning Orbit.A Lamp by Carpi

When Argentinian design studio IWISH discovered FENIX® materials, they wanted to create a lamp with them. And ORBIT.A was born.

Presented at Salone Satellite during Milano Design Week 2025 and winner of Gold A’ Design Awards, ORBIT.A is an innovative lamp made with FENIX® Bianco Kos and Nero Ingo that redefines the interaction between the user and light, allowing total customisation of illumination throughout the day. 

Inspired by orbital movements and the sun’s circadian rhythm, the lamp integrates an infinite rotation system that enables intuitive and precise adjustments to both light direction and intensity. By holding the central ring with one hand and rotating the shade with the other, the user can smoothly modify the lighting, creating effects ranging from soft ambient light to more focused illumination.

ORBIT.A blends the Italian design of Arpa Industriale, creator of FENIX, with the Argentinian talent of Ignacio Noel – specialised in lighting and founder of IWISH – and Ignacio Martínez Todeschini, industrial designer. Carpi Argentina, a company recognised for its commitment to design and technology, took care of ORBIT.A’s production. 

Noel and Todeschini tell how the discovery of FENIX and the observation of nature inspired this award-winning lamp that blends different cultural and sensorial worlds. 

When you discovered FENIX materials, that sparked a desire to create a lamp. Why is that? 

Discovering FENIX opened a whole new dimension in the world of design. Its properties inspired us to create something different - where the material was not simply a medium, but the starting point of the entire project. The ultra-matt, soft-touch surface gave us the idea of designing an analogue, highly sensory light experience. On the other hand, its low light reflectivity - often considered a drawback in lighting - became an opportunity: to create a light that diffuses in an enveloping way, without glare. ORBIT.A was born from this balance between technology and perception.

 

Orbital movements, sun’s circadian rhythm... how did you come up with the concept behind ORBIT.A?

We started by observing nature, planetary movements, sun’s cycles. From there, we got the idea of designing a lamp which, instead of merely emitting light, adapts, evolves and follows the rhythm of the day. With a simple movement of the hand, the user can adjust the direction and intensity making the light perfectly suit their visual needs and circadian rhythm. ORBIT.A marks a return to gestures, to a physical, conscious interaction with our lighting environment.

A design by two promising young Argentinians meets the historic experience of Arpa Industriale, the Italian company that created FENIX. What value did this international collaboration add to ORBIT.A?

This project is the result of a dialogue between two worlds: on one hand, our Argentinian approach, which is experimental and open to emotional interactions with objects, on the other, the solidity and technical innovation of Italian industrial design. We saw FENIX as much more than a simple material: it allowed us to create a lamp with aesthetic, functional and perceptual qualities. Without Arpa’s Italian expertise and FENIX exceptional quality, ORBIT.A would have never reached this level of precision and elegance.

The tactility of an object like a lamp is not usually an essential element. But in this case, the user is specifically encouraged to touch and adjust the system to suit their preferences. Does FENIX distinctive soft touch elevate the design experience of ORBIT.A? 

Absolutely. Tactility is a fundamental element. FENIX velvety touch completely changes how the user perceives the object. Rather than being just a regular light source, ORBIT.A becomes a tactile experience to enjoy with your hands. Thanks to its resistance to fingerprints and the possibility of thermal healing micro-scratches, the material remains perfect, even with daily use. These qualities allowed us to design a lamp that could be moved around and adjusted freely, without compromising on its aesthetic.

A lamp that generates and absorbs light at the same time, given that FENIX actually ‘traps’ rays of light in its ultra-matt surface. What role does the material play in defining the aesthetic of ORBIT.A?

FENIX forms an integral part of ORBIT.A’s visual identity. Its extremely matt look allows to absorb and reflect light in an incredibly controlled way, preventing any kind of dazzle or glare. In our lamp, two ultra-thin sheets of FENIX - a black one on the outside and a white one on the inside - work together to produce a light that is soft and diffuse, almost atmospheric. The result is a clean, timeless aesthetic in which every detail is carefully considered to offer visual comfort and formal coherence.