From Japan to Norway, by way of India and the United States
Anniversary pieces: from design icons to future classics
Text by
Pedrali, Nolita Collection, design CMP Design
Functionality and beauty are ageless. Some objects remain current and iconic over time, even after many years. Anniversaries thus become confirmation of a value that continues to speak to the present
Good design does not age, but renews itself until it becomes immortal. The collections and pieces presented below celebrate their anniversaries, ranging from 10 to 55 years, with new energy and interpretations: reasserting their identity without losing their original elegance, reaffirming their vocation for freedom, demonstrating the power of constant innovation, or showing how essential designs can still amaze simply with new finishes.
10 years
Osaka, Nemea and Nolita seating collections, design CMP Design, Pedrali
Three collections launched simultaneously at the 2015 Salone del Mobile: the first two made of ash, the third featuring a steel tube structure supporting the seat. Osaka, with its striking graphic impact and wide range of customisation options, includes a chair and armchair, also available in an upholstered version with a fabric or leather-covered shell. To celebrate its anniversary, Nemea, created with disassembly in mind, reasserts its identity in two new versions: one in American walnut with a hand-woven cellulose rope seat and one featuring an upholstered seat and backrest, offering maximum comfort and elegance. Nolita, created for outdoor environments, evokes a timeless atmosphere with iconic shapes that hark back to the origins of the company, an outdoor furniture pioneer.
Pedrali, Nolita Chair, design CMP Design - Ph. Ottavio Tomasini; Osaka Chair, design CMP Design - Ph. Studio Module, Aurélien Aumond
10 years
Captain Flint floor lamp, design Michael Anastassiades, Flos
Originally created as a floor lamp and then produced in several outdoor versions, including wall lamps, it stands out for its concept of balance expressed through its timeless geometric profile. The conical diffuser, its apex resting on a rotating horizontal metal rod, creates a variety of lighting effects: diffused light when turned upwards, reading light when pointing downwards. Both combinations of materials – brass with a white Carrara marble base and anthracite with a black Marquina marble base – make for a sense of stability and preciousness. The collection continues to grow, leaving its slender, flexible light character unchanged.
Flos, Captain Flint floor lamp, design Michael Anastassiades - Ph. Germano Borrelli
25 years
Flap sofa, design Francesco Binfaré, Edra
A timeless icon, expressing maximum freedom, over and above fashion trends. Fourteen centimetres thick, it reinvents the seat, while its sinuous shape, padded with polyurethane of varying densities, increases its range of performance thanks to nine separately reclining parts that can be used variously as a backrest, armrest, headrest, seat or footrest, as desired. A totally new expression of relaxation, which translates the genesis of the piece: "I dreamed, seeing it from above, of an immense red expanse, undulating like in the most beautiful images of the desert," says its creator.
Edra, Flap sofa, design Francesco Binfaré - Ph. Stefano Pasqualetti
25 years
Lighting lamp collection, design Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
A collection of around 40 products – table lamps, floor lamps and pendant lamps – developed over twenty-five years, reflecting the brand's constant innovation. In 2000, Ferruccio Laviani launched the new lighting division, rooted in the legacy of masters such as Castiglioni and Zanuso. The starting point was FL/Y, a light, transparent bubble, followed by many other pieces, including pioneering small battery-powered lamps such as Battery, Lantern and Goodnight. The anniversary is being celebrated with a reissue of Joe Colombo's legendary KD28, featuring cutting-edge materials and technologies.
