This one completely stood out,” says Orlandi. “I knew immediately that this project was something big. Even more than the photos, the pieces themselves convinced me. When you look at a Dolomitisch table, it feels like you’re high up on a peak looking down into the valley.” The Dolomitisch collection now comprises seven models, many of which combine sustainably sourced local woods with metal and glass. The glass top of the circular Mirage table floats above peaks and slopes; the rectangular Cordillera’s surface is divided by an elongated ridge. The Saxifraga side table uses the smooth undersides of two facing mountain slabs for both the base and the tabletop. The intriguing design notwithstanding, there’s an important olfactory component to some tables. “When we use scented woods, the whole room smells like a forest,” Da Ros says. Da Ros – who describes his hometown of Vittorio Veneto, in the Po Valley, as “a kind of pre- Alpine amphitheatre” – has not given up his day job as a researcher just yet and is happy that both his professions can contribute towards preserving the fragile ecosystem of the Dolomites. Indeed, reforestation and reinvestment in green projects are an important part of Dolomitisch’s DNA; its breakeven point, which makes it possible to implement the planned environmental protection measures on a permanent basis, is approaching in giant steps. Since the Bolzano-based company was named one of the most innovative Italian start-ups by the Fondazione Italia USA this past May, international architects and interior designers have come knocking at the door. Sometimes it’s about furnishing a luxury hotel, sometimes it’s about realising a certain vision for a VIP client. In cooperation with the Reinhold Messner Museum, a limited series of tables comprising all the 8,000+ metre peaks the iconic mountaineer has conquered is currently in the works (each specimen will be signed by Messner himself). A local representative for the Americas has also announced himself. Marc LeVarn, the co-owner of the Vail International Gallery in Colorado, became aware of the South Tyrolean firm through an Italian architect friend. Among other things, he is interested in the idea of using any of Earth’s surfaces as design elements, from the Himalayas to the San Andreas Fault. The opportunities for custom designs tailored to specific locations such as private properties, ranches and geographical regions are almost endless, says LeVarn, who celebrates Dolomitisch as “the most exciting design [concept] I’ve ever seen”. The architectural firm BlueArch recently realised that Dolomitisch could also bring the mountains of other planets to Elon Musk’s new villa in St Kassian – proving the Da Ros’s approach is truly out of this world. Left: the Top side table depicts Monte Civetta; below: Luca Da Ros (left) and chief designer Riccardo Vendramin pose with the Tip coffee table, featuring a model of Mont Blanc Opposite page: the Belvedere bench, captured in situ in the Italian Alps CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 49
