The Gubi lighting Bestlite BL3S Floor Lamp, designed by Robert Dudley Best. FL26

Robert Dudley Best (1892-1984) was heir to the world's largest lighting factory, founded in Birmingham in 1840. Despite its proud history, Best felt that the lamp designs produced by the factory were outdated. In 1925, Best visited the International Exhibition of Modern Design in Paris, where many of the designs exhibited were influenced by the work of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. Inspired by what he had seen, Best began his studies of industrial design in Paris and Düsseldorf, where he became close friends with Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus movement. It was during this time that he made the first sketches of what would become the iconic Bestlite design.

The Bestlite design was conceived by Robert Dudley Best who was highly influenced by the Bauhaus. The Bestlite BL3S Floor Lamp is composed of chrome-plated steel stems and fittings, and a powder-coated aluminum shade. The base is made of powder-coated aluminum with an integrated steel counterweight. All wires are textile covered and match with the shade and base. The Bestlite BL3S features an adjustable swing arm, which easily positions the light. A small key is included to tighten the joint of the lamp arm if needed. Ships with 78" of cord.

This lamp is an elegant in any modern space. As the lamp was the first example of Bauhaus in the UK, strong arguments were needed before the lamp could be put into production. After mention in the prominent architectural magazine Architects’ Journal, the architectural community opened its eyes to the lamp’s potential. Bestlite gained everlasting fame when Winston Churchill placed one on his desk in Whitehall.  Loved by architects, designers and design aficionados throught its 80-year history, today, Bestlite enjoys global iconic status.