Fuorisalone 2010: Via Durini
Checking out the shows on Milan’s famed design street
Via Durini, a street that has become institution in the Milanese design panorama, still manages to surprise with its many furniture showrooms exhibiting new work. The first revelation is the new Bend Sofa designed by the volcanic Patricia Urquiola for B&B at Fuorisalone.
Curvaceous yet monolithic forms give the seating system the look of soft sculpture, creating a deep sense of motion in this particular shape, the result of research conducted with 3-D models. Combinations run from small to large but the always-iconic result fits in well with the other new products from the Italian design house.
Other finds include the Ray seating system by Antonio Citterio (which is very low and undoubtedly elegant) and Piccola Papilo by Naoto Fukasawa, a small version of last year’s Grande Papilo—a chair as comfortable as it looks.
Next stop at Porro, known for its signature devotion to black-and-white, their inventive design installation stuns with bright colors and unusual furniture. “This Is A Box” features pieces designed by Piero Lissoni, Christophe Pillet and Front Design.
The aforementioned box hosts a contemporary dandy’s house, with colors themed for each living space. Magenta infuses the bedroom, black sets the tone for thought and study, yellow represents a surreal, deformed living room, and cyan creates a dining space for dreamers.
Agape, the company heralded for their bathroom design, launched the new Agapecasa collection at Fuorisalone, featuring a new range of products for every room in the house. They open the collection with maestro Angelo Mangiarotti and his eponymous collection—a series of projects by the great architect who’s recognized as a creator of classic global designs.
Another exciting studio at Fuorisalone, design firm Cassina‘s masterful manipulation of color keeps the work both fresh and timeless. The exhibition “Authentic Color,” dedicated to Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand, features themed islands of the two designers’ work and other modern leaders. They include sketches, photographs and quotations, bringing new dimension and insight to these timeless pieces.
