Downtown Design
redazione 24/08/2023

Corners of relaxation

Outdoor seating and lighting provide magical moments, in green settings or gazing at remarkable landscapes

Reading a book, listening to the silence, enjoying a cool evening breeze or watching the colors of a striking sunset. These are all pleasant and regenerating moments of life en plein air. Gardens and terraces are transformed into rooms without walls, offering all the comfort of a true dwelling. Seating and lamps alternate teak, iroko, aluminium, steel or other materials that rely on their natural characteristics of strength, or are enhanced by special treatments to resist the effects of weather.

Plumon (on the cover) by Kettal is based on the concept of the garment, to dress up or undress furnishings. Patricia Urquiola designs a light structure on which to develop a bespoke upholstered garment. With a few simple gestures the dress is placed on a rigid teak framework, embracing the structure. Extreme ease of use becomes an advantage for an outdoor collection.

Rafael collection by Ethimo, design Paola Navone

Rafael collection by Ethimo, design Paola Navone

Rafael, designed by Paola Navone for Ethimo, is a collection featuring a sturdy brushed teak structure with metal braces. The fine craftsmanship of the teak is joined by the refined selection of colors for the fabrics. The hexagonal profiles of the seat, in the new natural teak graffiti finish, are enlivened by the characteristic elements of the back.

Nooch by B&B Italia, design Piero Lissoni - Photo © Tommaso Sartori

Nooch by B&B Italia, design Piero Lissoni – Photo © Tommaso Sartori

Nooch by Piero Lissoni for B&B Italia is a sofa with a structure in recycled aluminium tubing, a light, strong material ready for infinite recycling. The iconic feature of the collection can be seen at the point of intersection of the structural parts, with a particular elbow curve obtained by bending the tubes. Nooch is a system that offers the possibility of creating infinite combinations starting with two seating modules: a rectangle of 136×95 cm, and a square of 95×95 cm.

Hashi by Gervasoni, design Federica Biasi

Hashi by Gervasoni, design Federica Biasi

Bolle by Midj, design Paola Navone

Bolle by Midj, design Paola Navone

Oriental inspirations are behind Hashi, the collection designed by Federica Biasi for Gervasoni, composed of a modular sofa and a rocking chair. The various modules of the sofa, made comfortable by seat cushions in expanded polyurethane, have a base structure and back frames in steel treated for outdoor use. The special characteristic of Hashi is the use Accardi outdoor jacquard technical fabric, which wraps the iroko wood parts above and below.

The Bolle collection created by Paola Navone for Midj has been made for outdoor use, and includes sofas, armchairs, tables, chairs and lamps in macro-perforated colored metal. The seats are like enveloping shells, ready to personalize with soft cushions.

Doga Relax by Nardi, design Raffaello Galiotto

Doga Relax by Nardi, design Raffaello Galiotto

Doga Relax designed by Raffaello Galiotto for Nardi is a lounge chair in fiberglass resin with a long life cycle, ready for complete recycling. The same collection contains Doga, a seat with armrests, and Doga Bistrot, without.

Caroline, Sounds collection by BertO, design Filippo Berto & Castello Lagravinese Studio

Caroline, Sounds collection by BertO, design Filippo Berto & Castello Lagravinese Studio

T-Pad by Twils, design Matteo Ragni - Photo © Max Rommel

T-Pad by Twils, design Matteo Ragni – Photo © Max Rommel

The Caroline chair by BertO, part of the Sounds collection (created by Filippo with Castello Lagravinese Studio), has slender armrests and a back fitted with soft padded cushions. The particular trait is the combination of a large seat with limited depth and bulk. The support structure in stainless steel and solid iron is composed of a slim side with vertical metal rods, giving rise to a light, airy structure thanks to the game of full and empty zones.

The outdoor collection of Twils, featuring the T-Pad modular system designed by Matteo Ragni, is composed of a sofa that can be interpreted in many different configurations: chaise longue, sofa for the living area, island for contract and many more. Thanks to the easily attached and detached modules, the three different armrests, the pentagonal element and the drop-shaped peninsula, T-Pad can rapidly changes its physiognomy. The back, in the version with a depth of 15 cm, relies on a weave of nautical rope.

Uz by Yaaz, design AngelettiRuzza

Uz by Yaaz, design AngelettiRuzza

Teak is the protagonist of the Uz collection by YAAZ (with creative direction by the Italian design studio AngelettiRuzza), based on the study of the geometric form of the cylinder, shaped and rendered more complex by slight curvature and tapering. Chairs, settees, chaises longues and daybeds welcome soft cushions in natural colors.

Twilight by Warli, design Paolo Zani - Photo © Simone Sapia

Twilight by Warli, design Paolo Zani – Photo © Simone Sapia

Living in the open air is also enjoyable at dusk or during the night, thanks to the proper lighting to create atmosphere in outdoor spaces, terraces and gazebos. For these moments, Warli presents the Twilight outdoor lantern designed by Paolo Zani. The diffuser in blown opaline glass is finely crafted with handmade engraving. The structure that frames it is in stainless still, in a satin or powder-coated finish.

Grande Costanza Open Air by Luceplan, design Paolo Rizzatto

Grande Costanza Open Air by Luceplan, design Paolo Rizzatto

Zoe by Olev, design Lo Studio Mammini Candido

Zoella by Olev, design Lo Studio Mammini Candido

The iconic Grande Costanza Open Air from Luceplan with design by Paolo Rizzatto now comes in a new suspension version capable of lighting terraces and porticos with class and efficiency. The new suspension has a thin diffuser in polycarbonate (diameter 50 and 70 cm) and an optical compartment connected to the shade by three small rods.

A poetic outdoor LED lamp with a shade in the form of a leaf. Zoella, created by Lo Studio Mammini Candido for OLEV, is composed of a slender, flexible aluminium rod, completed by a shade facing downward. For individual positioning or elegant multiple compositions, Zoe is easy to install directly on the ground or on paved surfaces, utilizing attachment bolts on screed.

Hazard by Davide Groppi

Hazard by Davide Groppi

Poetic and ephemeral, like abandoned light bulbs, Hazard by Davide Groppi is a wall lamp for direct light, also for outdoor settings, with a steel nail that takes on a natural oxidized finish over time.

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