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In what will mark the cement brand’s debut at the Salone fair in Milan, Italy, Cimento® will display a series of abstract 3-D installations made out of its experimental cement compound that is solid and sturdy yet extremely light and easy to use. Geometric furniture pieces, designed by international designers and architects such as Patricia Urquiola, Parisotto + Formenton, Defne Koz & Marco Susani, Omri Revesz, Studio 63, and BBA Studio and produced using the Cimento® cement composite, will be put on display at the Italian fair. Touted ‘Cimento Collection’, this series of items will be arranged in a poetic assemblage in Hall 16 of the fair. Resembling the geometries and volumes of the tables, stools and lights that make up the collection, the exhibition will be curated to resemble an art showcase. “In recent years, we have built numerous collaborations with architects, designers and artists,” says William Lucchetta, founder of Cimento. “Every challenge launched by our interlocutors represents for us an incentive to experiment and innovate; it is a difficult but also very stimulating path, made up of continuous research, which gives life to virtuous relationships capable of renewing themselves with each project," he adds.
Cimento® is an exclusive and unique compound made out of 90% aggregates mixed with a cement binder. For the latest Cimento collection, this compound has been enriched with new elements and comes in a wide range of colours that are inspired by the scapes of Venice. The miniature Cimento sculptures thus created appear like pieces scavenged from the Floating City. These sculptural furniture pieces include the Torcello seats by Defne Koz and Marco Susani, coffee tables by Omri Revesz, Accademia bookcase by Studio 63, the Bavolo lamp by BBA Studio, the Lido tables by Parisotto + Formenton, and Canal Grande paintings and mirrors, Erasmo vases, Fundamenta side table, Raft stool and Frari coffee table by Patricia Urquiola.
The Lido tables and benches, designed by Milanese architectural firm Parisotto + Formenton, for both indoor and outdoor spaces, are characterised by classic forms that can fit well in both formal and semi-formal spaces. The table surface, rounded at the corners, bears the standard rectangular profile and shape. It is supported by semi-rounded legs that balance the visual appearance of these sculptural tables with their softness.
Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola’s collection of furnishings and accessories comprises a combination of Cimento and aggregates such as glass, quartz, marble and cork. A mix of these contrasting elements emphasises her designs with a strong tactile character. Additionally, the workmanship of these pieces also suffuses them with a partially smooth - partially sandblasted texture, dotted with inserts of green Alpi marble, mica and cork.
Her Fundamenta collection is designed to resemble lego blocks. The different pieces of Fundamenta can be customised to modulate final pieces that are unique, depending on their compositional characteristics. They come in different shapes and colours, but follow the theme of minimalism through naturally toned colours and spartan forms. Similar to Urquiola’s Fundamenta tables are her Frari tables, which are made up of circular profiles fitted against each other. These circular forms of Frari serve as a perfect symbol of totality, harmony and balance. Although built as single cohesive pieces in various sizes, they can be arranged alongside each other to enhance their appearance or to give form to an installation that is altogether new and unique. When assembled with the monolithic Zattere stools, these tables appear monumental and complete in composition. The mica finished Zattere stools have been created by the Spanish designer to serve multiple purposes in tandem with larger furniture pieces.
The Erasmo vases and Canal Grande paintings and mirrors, crafted using the same materials and forms as the furniture items, are evocative of the rich Venetian architecture. While the vases are defined by geometries similar to Urquiola’s furniture pieces and can be modulated into various compositions according to need or desire, the paintings and mirror are more decorative and less utilitarian. They are abstract recreations of windows of the Serenissima overlooking sunrises and sunsets.
The Bavolo lamp, designed by Barbara Ballabio and Andrea Burgio of BBA Studio, is shaped like a tower as a tribute to Venice, Cimento’s place of origin. It is composed of five circular segments that can be shifted and turned around the peripheral fulcrum to reveal circles that light up and dim with the rotation of these segmented elements.
The Cimento collection will remain on display from 7 June to 12 June 2022 at Salone del Mobile.Milano (Hall 16 | Stand A 27-29).
STIR takes you on a Milanese sojourn! Experience Salone del Mobile and all the design districts - 5vie, Brera, Fuorisalone, Isola, Zona Tortona, and Durini - with us. STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2022, Meanwhile in Milan showcases the best exhibits, moods, studios, events, and folks to look out for. We are also excited to announce our very own STIR press booth at Salone del Mobile - Hall 5/7 S.14, Fiera Milano RHO.
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