If you thought that the term “Bakelite” referred to a low heat method for preparing your favorite cookies, you were probably born sometime after 1980. Because the term, in fact, describes an early incarnation of the Bell telephone handset. In fact, Bakelite is an early plastic (approx. 1907) developed by a Belgian chemist, but it became synonymous with the iconic phone that graced American homes circa WWII. This historical tidbit serves our purposes because designer Santiago Sevillano based the look of the three distinct modules that form his Ora Lamp on the very same. Albeit, Sevillano’s funky and futuristic and functional lightpiece takes some liberties on the techie side.

Ora Lamp. Designed by Santiago Sevillano.

The Adjustable Angles of the Ora Lamp

Ora is not made from the original and poly-syllabic substance known as “polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride” (thankfully), but rather the considerably easier to pronounce injected polycarbonate. This millennial material is not only lightweight but also conducive to transmitting Ora’s ethereal glow. Aluminum reflectors inside the modules aid in the endeavor of focusing light outward, which also gives these new age bakelite “handsets” their distinctive illumination. And each of Ora’s three units rotates at the connective junctions, thus enabling both focused lighting and artistic manipulations for dramatic effects.

Via Yanko.

About the Manufacturer: Spain’s Santiago Sevillano studied industrial design and “various other fields” at the Polytechnic University of Valencia before going on to an architectural degree at same. As an internal and freelance designer, he’s collaborated with renowned international firms like Antares (FLOS Architectural) and Plastik (VONDOM). As the founder and lead designer of Santiago Sevillano Industrial Design, he has a knack for creating contemporary showpieces with a vintage edge. Pieces like the curvaceous Duna Pendant Lamp for Mantra and the Crazy Easy Chair for Novalinea demonstrate Sevillano’s commitment to creating “habitat solutions”: “to provide an aesthetic sign to our designs so as to get exclusive products inside a functional frame.”