The Italian brand Zanotta presents re-editions of iconic pieces such as the Cuculia bowl and Dealbata vases designed by Alessandro Mendini in 1985 and 1986, and the Sosia mirror by Ugo La Pietra from 1982. Additionally, Zanotta paid homage to Piero Bottoni by presenting the Ara Fenice centrepiece.
Zanotta's decision to re-edit these historical pieces represents a significant rediscovery of Italian design heritage. Through meticulous collaboration with the designers and their heirs, alongside expert craftsmanship, Zanotta has successfully revived these iconic items that defined an era.
The revival of the three Dealbata ceramic vases and the Cuculia bowl pays tribute to Mendini's timeless creativity. These pieces transcend mere functionality; they are true works of art that blend aesthetics with purpose. The glazed clay vases, available in white or glossy orange with hand-applied decorative details, and the rigid polyurethane bowl featuring a two-tone glossy lacquer finish, exemplify Mendini's commitment to craftsmanship and aesthetic exploration.
The Sosia mirror, designed by Ugo La Pietra, serves as a manifesto of the architect's imagination. It becomes a dynamic frame for objects, buildings, and three-dimensional works, evoking the 'utopian quest' of radical architecture, where experimentation and innovation were central to the creative process.
Crafted from extra-clear bevelled crystal and adorned with digital prints, the Sosia mirror transforms its environment into a realm of imagination. The designer's hand-drawn designs enrich the frame, inviting viewers to explore various perspectives of life and architecture. Moreover, the option to integrate a warm LED light source at the back adds practicality and ambiance, turning the mirror into a source of light and atmosphere
It is much more than a simple piece of furniture, the Ara Fenice centrepiece created by Zanotta as a tribute to Piero Bottoni. It is a work that carries with it a historical legacy and profound significance, transporting those who contemplate it on a journey through the time and space of art and design.
The Fenice table was born in 1936 from the genius of Piero Bottoni, who had the first version built in cast concrete, firmly anchored to the floor of the dining room of Villa Muggia in Imola. The architect took up the design three times, changing materials and proportions, but always keeping the original idea intact. In the 1940s, he had the table made of wood, in walnut and pear; while the extreme version of the same design, four metres long, was made entirely of concrete and exhibited at the IX Triennale di Milano in 1951.
When the Fenice table was put back into production in 2016, the Zanotta team fully understood the quality and importance of this work, thanks to the original drawings preserved at the Polytechnic University of Milan and made available by the Bottoni Archive. Zanotta used the most advanced technologies: cement resin for the surface that reproduces the physicality of the original drawing, and Polimex for the internal structure. It is precisely this latter polymeric compound that, according to the company, is the key to solving the table project industrially: the load-bearing core is thus much lighter, eco-sustainable, and highly performing in assuming the important shapes and dimensions that Piero Bottoni had dreamed of and translated with the means of his time.
Through Ara Fenice, Zanotta carries on a tradition of excellence in Italian design, not only offering functional furnishing objects, but true works of art that enchant and inspire.
More information:
Zanotta
[email protected]
www.zanotta.com