Girouette

Girouette is French for weathervane, and Pierre Gonalons's pendants have the same sense of something caught turning in the air. Each module is a square plate of gilded metal cut through with a circle, angled to frame a sphere of dichroic borosilicate glass that shades from clear to gold. Grouped in lines, rings and a tiered combination of 36, the plates sit at different angles, so the piece reads as a flight of small gold vanes around points of light. Masiero calls the collection a set of lightweight sculptures in the spirit of 1950s design.

The metal is worked more than it first appears. The sheets are given a cross-satin finish with belt sanders, nickel-plated in a gold galvanic bath and then lacquered, which leaves a fine brushed grain that catches the light. The finish is G26 brushed pure gold. Dichroic glass changes colour with the angle you see it from, so the spheres shift as you move round the room.

Girouette is Gonalons's second collection for Masiero, after Horo. It belongs to Masiero's Atelier line and was shown at the company's Milan showroom in Via Statuto for Milan Design Week in April 2025. Masiero has made lighting at Casale sul Sile, near Treviso, since 1981, and makes each piece through the full cycle, from the metalwork up, in its own workshops.

In the room

The round versions are dining-room pieces: the S8 RD, Ø96.5cm, suits a round table of 140 to 160cm, the S12 RD, Ø111cm, one of 160 to 180cm. The S6 LN, 129cm long, follows a rectangular table of 200 to 240cm, and the S3 LN an island or a console. The S1, 18cm square on a black silk cable, hangs in pairs at a bedside or in a run over a bar. The Combo S36 stacks rings into a chandelier Ø152.5cm across and 87cm deep, for a drawing room, a double-height hall or a hotel lounge. All are only 21cm deep, apart from the Combo, so they sit comfortably under ordinary ceiling heights.

Made by Masiero in Casale sul Sile, Treviso.

Configurations

• Girouette S1: W18 x D18 x H23cm, 1.8kg, 4.5W LED, 486 lm at 3000K, black silk cable 120cm, canopy Ø12cm
• Girouette S3 LN: W64 x D21 x H21cm, 6kg, 13.5W LED, 1,458 lm, canopy Ø14cm
• Girouette S6 LN: W129 x D21 x H21cm, 12kg, 27W LED, 2,916 lm, canopy Ø22cm
• Girouette S8 RD: Ø96.5 x H21cm, 16kg, 36W LED, 3,888 lm, canopy Ø27.5cm
• Girouette S12 RD: Ø111 x H21cm, 24kg, 54W LED, 5,832 lm
• Girouette S16 RD: Ø152.5 x H21cm, 32kg, 72W LED, 7,776 lm
• Girouette Combo S36: Ø152.5 x H87cm, 72kg, 162W LED, 17,496 lm, canopy Ø38cm
• Girouette A1 wall light: W18 x D20 x H21cm, 2kg, 4.5W LED, 486 lm

Specification

• Designer: Pierre Gonalons
• Materials: Galvanised metal, cross-satin finished, plated in a gold galvanic bath and lacquered; shaded gold dichroic borosilicate glass
• Finish: G26 brushed pure gold
• Light source: Integrated LED, CRI above 90
• Colour temperature: 3000K as standard; 2700K on request
• Dimming: 1-10V and push
• Suspension: Black silk cable, 120cm, on the S1; transparent cables up to 150cm on the others
• Certification: CE
• Origin: Made in Italy

Every Girouette is made to order by Masiero in Italy. Caspen handles the specification with you, from the configuration and drop to the 1-10V or push control, and confirms the lead time when you order. Larger rings, bespoke combinations and wall lights to match are available through the studio.