| EDRA / MILAN INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FAIR 2005 |
Edra comes out in 1987 with the collection I nuovissimi, consisting of pieces of furniture designed by young designers at their first attempts with mass production. The strong identity of the company is paradoxically represented by its diversities: all of them contribute to the creation of an original living landscape, which is functional and emotional, continuously evolving, independent from any style suggestions.
Edra has been the first to use colour in a broad and structural manner, using also deep and bright shades. Without betraying its personality, Edra has shown itself to be capable either of experimenting advanced technologies and of making use of traditional processes and hand manufacturing, that give a unique quality to many of its pieces.
Edra tries out innovatory materials such as polypropylene and poor ones such as cardboard and rope.
Paesaggi Italiani, the modular system consisting of furniture, walls and dividing back panels, created in 1995 by Massimo Morozzi and considered as the company backbone, continues its evolution with new structural finishes and components, such as the articulated joints, that – for the first time – allow a system to free itself from the constrictions of plane geometry and enter space three-dimensionally.
The project, in this maturity age, is an integration project. The heart of the collection is based around new coloured-leather upholstered items as well as the Paesaggi Italiani system in various wood finishings. And these pieces are joined by tables and chairs to create a complete panorama of home-living.
Massimo Morozzi, the company's art director, has devised Croma, a serie of square, rectangular, round and elliptical tables, with tops in coloured glass in blue, red, pink, yellow, green, as well as black and white, and another 78 colours. Available in various sizes, they have strong shiny cylindrical aluminium legs, or legs that are lacquered to match the colours of the tops. The simplicity of their design is a clear reference to the archetypal figurative approach, a clear invitation to typical Mediterranean hospitality – the conviviality of sitting around a table, talking and knowing each other.
Jenette, by Fernando Campana and Humberto Campana, stems from a chair made by the brothers some years ago for the house of an American collector. Starting from the original chair in wood, Edra has developed a model in injection-moulded structural polyurethane, allowing the Brazilian brothers – artists-cum-craftsmen – to approach the dimension of a more industrial design. Not just hand-made items, not just one piece at a time, but partly mass-produced creations, optimising manufacturing processes and times. Jenette is presented in a variety of colours, with a very normal seat in polyurethane and a steel frame. The surprise is in the backrest. Made of stainless steel, it is covered in a thousand-odd long thin stalks of flexible pvc in the same colour as the seat. The subtle reference to natural ears of corn almost waving in the breeze gives the design a magical, dream-like quality that belies its strong back support.
Mummy, by Peter Traag, the young Dutch designer who debuted last year with the Sponge armchair, is a traditional wooden chair. The seat and the backrest are slightly upholstered and wrapped with sixty-odd metres of elastic grosgrain ribbon or leather. This fabric wrap envelops the chair as if it were a mummy, giving a normal wooden seat an unexpected softness and a very new appearance.
Besides Edra presents old, new and renovated versions about last season's issues: Masso, Flap, Damier, Esse, On the rocks – sofas realised by Francesco Binfaré –, Meditation Pod – an armchair designed by Steven Blaess –, Sushi, Vermelha, Verde, Azul and Cone – chairs, armchairs and sofas created by Fernando Campana and Humberto Campana –, Favela – chair Fernando Campana and Humberto Campana –, Boa – a comfortable informal seat designed again by the Campana brothers –, Au – informal seating designed by Setsu and Shinobu Ito –, Adelphi Chair – essential chair by John Denton, Bill Corker, Barrie Marshall –, Elysée – sofas by Christophe Pillet –, Passepartout – seat by Dante Donegani, Giovanni Lauda –, Tatlin – sofas by Mario Cananzi, Roberto Semprini –, Fortuna and Silver – chairs and sofas by Leonardo Volpi –, Bocca – evergreen seat by Studio65 –, Pororoca – chaise lounge by Flavia Alves De Souza –, Soshun, Rose Chair, Getsuen and Anthurium – the flower collection by Masanori Umeda –, Blue Bench – minimal sofa by Maarten Van Severen –, Air One & Two – unusual seats by Ross Lovegrove –, Topolone, Cubista and Cubista Soft – sofas by Massimo Morozzi –, Penta and Neolitico – coloured tables by Massimo Morozzi.
Edra
P. O. Box, 28
Perignano, Pisa - Italy
Tel. +39 0587 616660
Fax +39 0587 617500
www.edra.com
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