Giulia Ligabue - ETRURIA design

34
Show
La mostra Sit_Down_Please al
Coverings 2007 di Chicago.
The Sit_Down_Please exhibition
at Coverings 2007,
Chicago.
PiX decided to take a closer look at the recent
Sit_Down_Please exhibit that was created by Confindustria
Ceramica this past spring. We talked to attendees at the tradeshows
where the exhibit was on display, to get their reactions and
thoughts about the convergence of tile and furniture.
BACKGROUND
It all started back in 2006, when Confindustria, in collaboration
with exhibit curator Aldo Colonetti, commissioned a group of nine
designers/architects to create a series of chairs clad with Italian
ceramic tile that celebrate the versatility of the material. Working
with famed architect Mario Botta, the result was a thought-provoking
exhibit developed to explore the unique crossover between
the worlds of architecture, furniture, and Italian tile. Launching
simultaneously at the famed Triennale during the 2007 I Saloni
Fair in Milan, Italy and Coverings 2007 in Chicago, IL, it then went
on to the Merchandise Mart for NeoCon 2007.
In addition to the ETRURIA design bench, created by Arizonabased
modernist architect Michael P. Johnson (based on the
Golden Ratio), the exhibit featured the works of the following designers/architects:
Marco Acerbis (StepbyStep), Michela e Paolo
Baldessari (Leia), Riccardo Blumer (Earthframe), Diego Grandi
(Double C), Giulio Iacchetti (Zerobench), Massimo Iosa Ghini (In
Attesa), Setsu & Shinobu Ito (Arrow), Paolo Ulian (Side Shadow).
Show guests tested out the durability and comfort of these innovative
chairs. Ranging in design from an undulating shape that
resembles a park bench to a high-back lounge covered in tiles
that look like crocodile skin, each and every one of these tile-clad
seats, passed with flying colors.
PiX sat down with several leading industry decision-makers and
asked them to share their perspectives on the traveling sit_down_please
exhibition. In particular, we asked if these chairs were viable products
for the future and if they could see a market for them.
MILAN ((April 118-23, 22007)
Mario Botta’s contribution to the project was Guscio, which
means shell, a giant avant-guarde arch created entirely with stateof-the-art
materials from Floor Gres. It covered the staircase in
the Triennale building.
According to Aldo Colonetti, “Visitors to the Triennale were able to
climb the stairs inside the shell – following a kind of ritual passage
from the earth to the product and from material to form.” As they
emerged from the stairs, attendees arrived on the mezzanine where
they could literally experience the Sit_Down_Please exhibit.”
Fabio DiLiberto, Senior Design Strategist, Design Continuum in
Milan added, “I found the exhibit to be fascinating because ceramics
have such surprising potential. I was initially a bit skeptical,
as tile can seem like a cold material, which you don’t think of
using for seating. The chairs on display were a completely new
and interesting application, which I think works well in public or
outdoor spaces. The larger formats are particularly appropriate
as there are fewer grout lines. In the context of the Milan Triennale
this exhibit was presented more as an art installation – almost on
a pedestal in a museum. Next time, I would love to see them out
in the garden or down at the Triennale bar where people could
have really used them.”
Rita Catinella, Senior Product Editor for Architectural Record
Magazine had this to say, “I think combining tile with seating can
be a viable product idea, for specific uses. Perhaps in a bathroom,
poolside, steam room, or spa. I think that tile seating would
be hygienic and waterproof, but the architect would have to work
to make sure it was also comfortable. I often see tile tables in
home stores and there is something substantial about them.”
COVERINGS ((April 117-20, 22007)
At Coverings, the exhibit, which featured six of the nine chairs,
was located adjacent to the Ceramic Tiles of Italy centerpiece
stand and served as the perfect complement to the tile innovations
that were on display throughout the Italian pavilion. With the
show’s new Chicago location, Coverings 2007 attracted a record
number of architects and designers (up 80% from previous years)
and drew scores of journalists who were eager to share their
ground-breaking new finds with the design community.
According to Katie Weeks, Senior Editor Contract Magazine “I’ve
found that exhibits like this are always a lovely visual treat at trade
shows. These vignettes usually push the limits a bit more, combining
innovative thinking to reinterpret an everyday concept or
object with an unusual mix of materials. As a result, it’s not only
the designers behind the products that think outside of the normal
constraints, but also the passersby, who are inspired by the
final creations. Not every piece may work in a practical setting,
but the thought behind each one may lead to an exciting discovery
down the road.”
Weeks added, “The viability of these chairs depends entirely on
the context of where it would be specified. It may not, for instance,
be appropriate for the most corporate of settings. However,
given the ever-emerging presence of art in the workplace, a
visual offering like this chair could work in more spaces. I could
see this being showcased by both furniture retailers and tile retailers,
although I’m not sure who should handle distribution.”
Weeks concluded, “I also think that as the general public’s awareness
of design—and of its impact on our everyday lives—continues
to increase, we’ll continue to see an expanding cross-over
between tile and furniture as both designers and clients look to
play around for a unique angle. One-of-a-kind things (even if they’re
actually mass produced) have so much appeal that something
unique like a chair made of tile would probably catch a
number of people’s eye.”
Architect Phu Hoang, Principal of the New York-based firm Phu
Hoang Architects and formerly of Bernard Tschumi Architects
added, “As an architect, I very much enjoy seeing a creative new
use for a material that I often specify for my projects. Tile is typically
seen as an architectural surface, the exhibit provoked thinking
about tile applications at a totally different scale and materiality.