SB Cinquantotto is a design masterpiece that comes from afar and brings the emotion of a family history into the contemporary world. Designed in 1958 for Arteluce by the architects Carlo Santi and Vittorio Borachia, the prototype of this perfect example of the finest Italian manufacturing has for years embellished the Lake Como home of Gino Sarfatti, founder of Arteluce and grandfather of Alessandro, Astep's founder. Recovered by Alessandro, who knew of its design qualities and its manufacturing of excellence since he was a child, it is repurposed following the original design, like a suspension in satin opal glass hand blown in Italy. The timeless aesthetic of the thin diffuser, perfect for elegantly illuminating any environment, meets the mounting system based on the pattern generated by a black cable that runs freely next to an almost transparent aluminum wire.

Carlo Santi (1925-2004) and Vittorio Borachia (1920-2015), who make up the architectural duo Santi Borachia, met while they were both students at the Polytechnic School in Milan during the 1940s and found common ground for exploring the world of architecture and design. Among other collaborations, the duo was involved in the lighting company Arteluce, which at the time attracted the most talented architects and designers due to the visionary and experimental approach of its founder, Gino Sarfatti. Later, Carlo Santi's and Vittorio Borachia's spheres of interest moved on to urban planning, but from time to time they continued the exploration of lighting and furniture design, both as a duo and under their own names. Carlo Santi and Vittorio Borachia were guided by the logical and formal principles of the most recent industrial techniques and materials and aimed for an essential elegance in their design, whether in plastic, wood or glass.

The SB Cinquantotto suspension light is available in two sizes. The original size with a diameter of 12.6" has a strong presence in the room and is a perfect companion for the dining table, while the smaller version, with a diameter of 7.9", has a slightly more modest expression and volume but shares the same timeless qualities.