André Ricard

André Ricard Sala (born June 18, 1929) is a Barcelona-based Catalan industrial designer and one of the key figures in the development of industrial design in Spain. His work is rooted in a very clear idea: design should make everyday life work better—quietly, efficiently, and without unnecessary “show.”

Ricard designed for many Spanish manufacturers, but also collaborated internationally with companies and brands such as Gaggia, Nestlé, Moulinex, Paco Rabanne, Pierre Fabre, Milus, Pierre Junod, and Baume & Mercier, among others.

In lighting, he is especially known for his long collaboration with Metalarte. His best-known lamp is the Tatù (1972), a compact, highly adjustable desktop spotlight that became a pop-era design icon (and was awarded an iF Design Award in 1972). You can find it referenced on Vintageinfo as well: Tatù table lamp.

Beyond objects, Ricard also helped shape design culture and institutions: he contributed to professional and educational initiatives around design in Spain, held leadership roles in design organizations, and remained an influential voice in how design is taught, evaluated, and understood.

Ricard received numerous major awards, including the Spanish National Design Prize (1987), the Creu de Sant Jordi and the IOC Olympic Order (both 1993), France’s Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (1998), and the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (2011).

Metalarte

Metalarte was founded in 1932 in Canovelles, a town about 30 km from Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. The company started as a metalworking workshop and gradually evolved into one of the most important lighting manufacturers in Spain. From the 1940s onward, Metalarte focused increasingly on functional and architectural lighting, laying the foundations for its later design-oriented identity.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Metalarte went through a major transformation. The company renewed its catalogue and actively collaborated with external designers, embracing contemporary industrial design rather than relying solely on in-house production. In this period, Metalarte also distributed lamps by international manufacturers such as Louis Poulsen (Denmark) and Italian firms including Arteluce and Stilnovo, reflecting its strong international outlook.

Metalarte worked with a wide range of designers who played a key role in shaping Spanish lighting design, including André Ricard, Gaetano Sciolari, Enric Franch, Josep Lluscà, Estudi Blanc, Josep Aregall, Òscar and Sergi Devesa, Antoni Arola, Lievore Altherr Molina, Ricard Ferrer, George W. Hansen, Héctor Serrano, Jordi Llopis, Ana Mir, Emili Padrós, Otto Canalda and Ramón Úbeda.

Several Metalarte designs from the 1970s became international references for functional lighting. A notable example is the Calder halogen lamp (1974) by Enric Franch, which is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Today, Metalarte is part of the Luxonia Group, together with brands such as Troll and Sagelux. While this integration ensured continuity and industrial backing, it also marked the end of Metalarte as an independent, design-driven manufacturer rooted in its original Catalan context.

Metalarte Globe Table Lamp – 1973 Catalogue Picture

This lamp is model 4723, the bigger blue one is model 4757, both designed by André Ricard.