Model 237 and 238 by Astep. Gino Sarfati and the sphere as a design principle.

Some designs do not need to evolve because they are complete from the very beginning. Le Sfere, conceived by Gino Sarfati in 1959, belongs to that exceptional category where form, function and emotion reach a balance that is difficult to surpass.

More than six decades later, Astep brings this iconic collection back through a contemporary, respectful and precise lens, proving that modernity does not always mean adding more, but knowing what is worth preserving.

Model 237/1: one sphere, one idea.

Le Sfere is one of the most emblematic collections in Italian lighting design. At its origin stands model 237/1, a luminaire reduced to its essence: a glass sphere held in place by a lacquered aluminium ring, finished in black or champagne.

A simple principle that reveals Sarfati’s deep reflection on light: how to contain it, how to direct it and, above all, how to allow it to inhabit architecture without imposing itself.

In this luminaire, Sarfati eliminates any superfluous gesture. Light is neither hidden nor disguised. It becomes volume, as the sphere acts as a perfect luminous body, almost lunar, suspended in a graphic balance that feels both technical and poetic.

Scale and proportion: one idea, two dimensions.

With a diameter of 14 cm, model 237/1 represents the purest expression of the system. Model 238/1 was later introduced, maintaining the same constructive principle while increasing the scale of the sphere to 20 cm. In both cases, the spheres are made of blown opaline glass, providing a soft, enveloping, almost ethereal light that shapes the atmosphere without glare and manifests itself as luminous volume.

Models 237 and 238 are available in versions with one or two spheres, always preserving the same structural logic. In the single-sphere configurations, model 237/1 and model 238/1, the luminaire is expressed in its most essential form, reinforcing the reading of the piece as a single, precise gesture.

In the double-sphere versions, model 237/2 and model 238/2, the blown opaline glass appears almost suspended, gently held by lacquered rings in black or champagne. A small cut in each ring allows the spheres to be oriented upwards or downwards, creating direct or indirect lighting compositions depending on the space and the moment. While model 237/2 maintains a contained diameter of 14 cm, model 238/2 increases the scale to 20 cm, reinforcing its presence without losing lightness.

Lightness as contemporary luxury.

The re-edition of Le Sfere in transparent glass, available exclusively for model 237 in both of its versions, offers a new reading of the original design. Transparency enhances visual lightness and strengthens the graphic character of the piece, while the contrast with the black lacquered ring introduces an elegant and contemporary tension.

From a sphere to a system.

Starting from this first luminaire, Le Sfere evolved into an open system, capable of adapting to larger compositions and commissioned projects. Yet even in its most complex configurations, the collection remains faithful to its original principle: the interpretation of the sphere as the perfect luminous form.

Today, thanks to Astep, this legacy is not only preserved but activated. Le Sfere 237 and 238 are luminaires that feel fully contemporary, capable of engaging with architecture through discretion, proportion and formal intelligence.