The Milan Furniture Fair celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022, and after years of border closures, there was a plethora of new designs for the Australians who ventured across the globe for the week-long event. We asked Kirsten Stanisich of Richards Stanisich to scope out the top finds.
Lava and Tambor by Habitación 116 for Unno Gallery
Latin American contemporary art and design gallery Unno presented an evocative exhibition in the Brera Design District of Milan. Titled ‘Volume, The Land, and The Maker,’ the exhibition was inspired by a painting by Josef Albers from his Homage to the Square series.
Mexican interior architecture studio Habitación 116 and Chilean artist Abel Cárcaco were invited to create pieces that synthesised the colour, materials and form of Albers’s painting. The Lava chair and Tambor side table are both inspired by El Pedregal neighbourhood of Mexico City and the volcanic landscape that it sits on. The chair takes its colour theory from the five colours of the volcanic rocksm while Tambor is a monolithic piece of volcanic stone that also doubles as a stool.
“I connected with these pieces, which have an incredible elegance with their references to tradition and use of craftsmanship contrasted against a rich contemporary colour palette,” Stanisich said.
Simoon console table by Patricia Urquiola for Glas Italia.
Simoon by Patricia Urquiola for Glas Italia
Described as “miniature architectures” by its designer Patricia Urquiola, Simoon is a collection of low, high and console tables and a writing desk that take the form of “deliberately simplified geometrics.”
The collection is made from 12mm thick UV bonded glass slabs and has a pleasing, tactile surface thanks to its coat of grounded Murano glass, created from recycled production waste. The tables are available in amethyst, light blue and topaz.
“Glas Italia has always been close to my heart and this year my love for the brand continued,” Stanisich said. “The use of soft colour, texture and geometric shapes is contrasted against Glas Italia’s awe-inspiring technical precision. These pieces are beautiful.”
Koushi by Kengo Kuma for Salvatori.
Koushi by Kengo Kuma for Salvatori
Koushi is a modular furniture concept based on a series of cubes made from batons and joints that can be assembled in infinite ways.
“This bathroom vanity from Salvatori has taken the clarity of simple concept and combined it with incredibly detailed precision,” Stanisich said.
As well as vanity units, Koushi can also be made up into shelving, cupboard solutions and coffee tables.
Ottavia by Antonio Citterio for Flexform.
Image:
Kirsten Stanisich
Ottavia by Antonio Citterio for Flexform
Ottavia is an elegant outdoor armchair designed by Antonio Citterio that combines a powder coated stainless steel structure with hand woven cord. “The rough texture of the cord contrasts so beautifully against the minimal silhouette of the chair,” Stanisich said. Also available in a small armchair size, the design is versatile for a range of outdoor spaces.
Signature Kitchen by Nicolas Schuybroek Architects for Obumex
Signature Kitchen by Nicolas Schuybroek Architects for Obumex
“Everyone was obsessing over this pewter kitchen and I’ve joined the queue,” Stanisich said. This monolithic kitchen island designed by Belgian architect Nicolas Schuybroek is made entirely of tin – a unique material in contemporary kitchen designs.
“Nicolas Schuybroek rethought the block-like typology of a kitchen island and transformed it into a dynamic shape, resulting in carefully proportioned shifts between the sculptural blocks,” the designer said. “As tin gains a unique patina, the aesthetics of the kitchen will beautifully evolve over the course of time, resulting in each and every kitchen to be unique.”
Port Light by Tom Fereday for Rakumba
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Kirsten Stanisich
Port Light by Tom Fereday for Rakumba
Created by Australian designer Tom Fereday in collaboration with lighting manufacturer Rakumba, the Port Light is a uniquely reversible table lamp that celebrates the properties of cast crystal glass. Stanisich was drawn to the light’s “soft shapes and internal stepped layers”. The light is reversible simply by flipping the glass body over to create different moods and light interactions. It is housed in a brass base.
Und Messing by Volker Haug
Image:
Pier Carthew
Und Messing by Volker Haug
Australian lighting studio Volker Haug presented a new series of light fitting that explore the various properties of brass in its exhibition Und Messing (and brass).
Each piece is hand made by local craftspeople and explores various ideas from the past two years. Stanisich found the “brass wall fitting from Volker Haug beautifully expresses its handmade origins,” she said.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
