On a recent trip to Munich I entered a shoe store, shrieked with joy, grabbed my camera - and took a bunch of pictures of the incredible mega-sized pendant light Pierre ou Paul by Ingo Maurer.
I was so happy finally to see it in real life, and this store had not just one, but a whole row of them. An incredible display!
When I left the store after about twenty minutes I realized that I had forgotten to look at the shoes!! - It is hard to believe. Well, that gives me an excuse to go back to this great store next time I’m in Munich.
The 50 inch domes are made of hammered aluminum and steel and lined on the inside with platinum leaf or gold leaf (the real thing!) Three counterweights allow fine adjustments to the height and tilt.
The Pierre ou Paul is not only grandiose for its size, but has enormous presence and “makes” the room with its sculptural quality.

On a recent trip to the Ruhr district in Germany, where I lived with my family for 12 years before moving to the US, our friends introduced us to the Zeche Zollverein mining complex in Essen.

The visit to this magnificent example of industrial Bauhaus style was one of the highlights of our entire trip.

Zeche Zollverein was built between 1928 and 1932 and was adopted in 2001 as part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage as only one of ten modern architectural projects in the world.

A central courtyard is surrounded by massive cubic structures with the dramatically sculptural pit-head mechanism to one side and the boiler-house that houses the

I couldn’t stop taking photos!

The design museum was a treat! Everyday objects with outstanding design - from packaging material to vacuum cleaners and cars were on display in the powerful structures that had housed the coal mine.

Of course I looked for lighting. Which lamps and fixtures had been chosen for their outstanding design. Not a large selection, but I was pleased to see the Tolomeo Mega floor lamp by Artemide.

This oversized floor lamp designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina is a great addition to the Tolomeo family.

In 1989 the Tolomeo task lamp was given the Compasso d’Oro award for Italian industrial design. It was credited with having achieved the perfect marriage between design and engineering.

Since then, the Tolomeo’s award-winning design, engineering and performance features have been further refined in a complete series of models for table, floor, wall, track and suspension application.

The Tolomeo Mega has a fully-adjustable, articulated arm and body structure that allows you to direct the light where it is needed. The diffuser is available in a choice of sizes in parchment paper or in a palge grey. With its 150W incandescent bulb (G40) or halogen bulb (double envelope) it provides a generous amount of light.

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