Metalarte Hala 145 Desk Lamp

Metalarte Hala 145 desk lamp triangular base mushroom lampshade 1950s design: Herman Busquet Netherlands Spain 1960s

Metalarte Hala 145 desk lamp triangular base mushroom lampshade 1950s design: Herman Busquet Netherlands top view

Metalarte Hala 145 desk lamp black triangular base built-in switch 1950s design: Herman Busquet Spain 1960s

Metalarte Hala 145 Desk Lamp – 1961 Catalogue Picture

Lamps In The Movies

Te Gek om Los te Lopen (1981)

A Hala 145 desk lamp was used as a set decoration in the 1981 Dutch film Te Gek om Los te Lopen (Too nuts to walk loose). Starring Peter Faber, Leen Jongewaard and Jaap Strobbe.

Vintageinfo – Metalarte lamps

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Materials: Black triangular metal (iron) base. 2 square white painted metal rods. Grey painted mushroom lampshade, painted white inside. Some metal parts. Metal and porcelain E27 socket.

Height: 35 cm / 13.77” – adjustable

Lampshade: ∅28 cm / 11.02”

Base: 15,5 cm / 6.10”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 75 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred, but the smaller the better.

Period: 1950s, 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Herman Theodoor Jan Anthoin Busquet (February 9, 1914 – June 12, 1977).

Manufacturer: Hala Zeist Lampenfabriek, Zeist, The Netherlands.

Other versions: This Metalarte Hala 145 desk lamp exists in several colours. It was produced for many years.

This lamp is the Metalarte version, it is stamped on the metal near the socket, as you can see.

Hala Zeist Lampenfabriek

Hala is one of the first light companies of The Netherlands, originated in 1932 in the city of Zeist and later moved to Amersfoort. Herman Theodoor Jan Anthoin Busquet (February 9, 1914 – June 12, 1977) was the founder of the company. It is always said that he designed most of the the Hala lamps, but that is in all probability a false assumption.

The company’s origin is in Hannover, Germany. The name is derived from theHa nnoversche La mpenfabrik GmbH, founded in 1920. HALA Hanover ended business in the 1960s. Both companies sold the same lamps and used similar catalogues.

Dijkstra Lampen B.V.

In 2011 Hala took over Dijkstra Lampen from Haarlem, also in the Netherlands. In 2013 Fokke Dijkstra junior was in a position to buy back the company his grandfather started. “Making lamps is in our genes” thus Fokke Dijkstra jr.

Since 2008 the company is located in Almere and is part of Maretti Lighting. Until about 2020, Hala lamps were for sale in the Maretti webshop. Maretti still sells lamps under the Hala name, but their numbers are becoming fewer and fewer and the models no longer have anything to do with the old models.

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.