48|PROTAGONISTA Designing a luminaire or furni- ture design: What is the diffe- rence? Antoni Arola: A luminaire is ethe- real; it has several interesting requirements rather than furniture. First it is symbolically more impor- tant than furniture. A hanging lamp is always a reference. Next, it is more ethereal. And the main ma- terial is light. Manipulating light is attractive. And then, allows more possibilities. In a chair, in the end, you cannot vary much the height neither the back. A chair is more formal, the light is more poetic. The Fluoride System of colour fluorescence (2001), the Moire Series (2003), the Tau lamps (2005) or the Cubrik (2006) ... Looking back from the collabo- ration between Toni Arola and Santa & Cole, which work has been more complex to do and why? Nina Masó: In general, Toni’s pro- ducts are not easy. They are all qui- te complex. And so is the technical development. Sometimes we fail, sometimes we succeed, but then SAnTA & cole, Seen herSelf For 25 years, Santa & Cole has lived for industrial design, an art consisting of paying attention to everyday objects to look for a better user experience, and there- fore requires a reflection on the material culture. And so they edit items of furniture and domestic and urban lighting, vegetable elements (which are living matter) and books (they also are). An only apparent dispersion that comes toge- ther in the same concern: not hoard but select not to enjoy the quantity but the quality. you have to give it a second polish again until perfection. Antoni Arola: The Nimba was three or four years in the boxes, fighting... Nina Masó: Fighting until this pro- duct was in perfect condition. Now it happens that we’ve got that lamp in LED version which is still better. When Toni brought it there was no LED, so we made it with Xenon lights, that light was so wonderful that gave us that heat. But they were bulbs that had to be changed. Now with the LED the lamp is per- fect, it does not need improvement. It is good to improve the products. Adapt them to technologies that are coming up. And with Toni it has happened to many products, we have been improving them over time, or we even stopped them... What was the most complex? Maybe, the Nimba, at any given time ... The Moire also had her story, but then it was easier. Really all have been laborious (both laugh). A curiosity ... Who chooses the name of the lights? Nina Masó: This is a curious ques- tion, because many times Toni pro- poses a name... Antoni Arola: And they always change it (laughs). And many times I do not like it. Nina Masó: Sometimes he does not agree. I am not keen on giving names. But Javier Nieto, who is the President of Santa & Cole, he likes doing it. He comes from the world of books; he is a writer and loves to give names. Virtually all names are Javier Nieto’s.