Posto Table Lamp by Claire Lavabre
For her first design with HAY, French designer Claire Lavabre asked a simple question: what is a lamp, stripped back to nothing but itself? The result is Posto – a table lamp with a calm, graphic presence and a deliberately industrial expression, made from three raw aluminium parts, assembled with two screws and a bulb fitting.
The idea was born from an exhibition brief centred entirely on aluminium, at a gallery in Saint-Étienne, France. 'The Posto Table Lamp was inspired by the desire to create a simple, robust and honest object, and it was an opportunity to explore this material in depth,' says Lavabre. 'What makes Posto unique is its extreme simplicity.'
The head sits lightly on the upright, the stem gives the lamp a quietly architectural presence, and the cable is held in a subtle groove that keeps the silhouette elegantly composed. Posto does not compete for attention, but rewards it: its cast aluminium has a tactile, grainy quality, and the shot-blasted finish carries faint traces of its making – small marks that give the object a rare honesty.
'The profile of the lamp is very beautiful and very clear,' says Rolf Hay, HAY Co-founder and Creative Director of Furniture & Lighting. 'I really like that you feel the material, you feel the industrial production of the cast aluminium. It's got a lot of grit to it.'
On a desk, shelf, or bedside table, Posto provides focused, comfortable light without imposing itself on the room. It is designed to be used with a standard E14 LED bulb.
About Claire Lavabre
Claire Lavabre is a French designer and photographer based in Copenhagen. A graduate of ENSCI/Les Ateliers in 2012, she has collaborated with renowned designers and architects across projects spanning object design and photography. She subsequently established her own studio, developing objects alongside personal and commissioned photographic projects. Her work is characterised by balanced compositions that explore colour, texture, and form, with a strong emphasis on aesthetics and functionality. It has been exhibited in numerous galleries, reflecting a practice that moves fluidly between art and design. For HAY, Claire Lavabre has designed the Posto Table Lamp.
