Salvatori brings emblematic bowls and tables by Piero Lissoni and John Pawson to Milan

Renowned Italian design brand Salvatori marks a dominant presence at Milan Design Week 2022, much like its enthusiastic presence at the previous editions of the international fair. Through a large array of products displayed at the design festival, the brand pays homage to several Western and Eastern legends, traditions and designs. Two such showcases heralded by the brand are the Japanese Collection by Italian architect and designer, Piero Lissoni and the Omphalos Collection by British architect, John Pawson. While the former comprises a trio of exquisite bowls built using natural stone, the latter is a collection of stone coffee tables. Both of them are sculpted out of natural stone, yet they evoke different traditions and stories.

Lissoni’s Japanese Collection extols the traditions and style of the Far East with a series of bowls that resemble the traditional Japanese ceremonial tea bowls, but are sculpted out of stone instead of traditional porcelain. The design of this collection is a seamless amalgamation of the traditionality of Oriental culture and the contemporaneity of modern design. "I chose what I think are the most beautiful pieces from my personal collection of Japanese objects and reproduced them in stone, creating a sense of continuity in my relationship with Japan that began many years before. And I also wanted to push the use of the material to the extremes, in this case natural stone, taking it towards a captivating aesthetic," says Lissoni about the inspiration behind his Japanese Collection.

This latest collection by Lissoni is preceded by similarly designed Stone Tatami and Lost Stones collections, both of which were inspired by similar influences. The three pieces, chiselled out of Bianco Carrara marble, Crema d’Orcia limestone and Nero Marquinia marble, are washed in cool white, muted pastel pinkish-straw-coloured hues and inky black with splashes of white veining, respectively. The first bowl, coloured in white, mimics the form of the hiragata, which is a shallow bowl used for tea in Japan during the summer months. Its appearance and form make it a perfect decorative accessory, and its dimensions and shape ensure its practical usability. The pink hued second bowl, delicate in form, features contrastingly against the solidity of the first. Projecting out from a circular base, the curves of the bowl appear like the petals of a flower, gently unfurling. Lissoni’s third bowl for this collection is darker and taller than the other two bowls. Its form evokes memories of the Japanese sugi-nari models that are especially crafted to sip tea.

British designer John Pawson’s Omphalos Collection is a series of coffee tables made out of natural stone. According to a Greek legend, Zeus, the god of the sky, wanted to identify the centre of the world. For this, he released two eagles and commanded them to fly towards one another. They met in the skies above Delphi, which was then considered as ‘omphalos’, the world’s umbilicus or navel. Referencing this story, Pawson wanted to create an object that could capture a sense of centrality and draw a person’s gaze to the object almost spontaneously and effortlessly. Omphalos was thus born. “I was drawn to the idea of the circle, I wanted to use a shape with the idea of gathering embedded within it,'' explains John Pawson. “The challenge was to make the stone appear to be levitating, rounding its edges to lighten the stone’s visual weight. I wanted to convey the values of simplicity, pairing function and aesthetics while stripping away the unnecessary,” he adds.

Designed as low tables, both the circular and rectangular versions of the Omphalos table collection are constructed such that they appear to levitate mid air. This gives a sense of extreme lightness and helps draw both the eye of the viewer and their curiosity to the table. The choice of pure white colour and Bianco Carrara and Crema d’Orcia marbles as materials further suffuse it with a sense of lightness, calmness and tranquillity.

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.