B&B italia sustainably updates camaleonda modular sofa by mario bellini

every piece of furniture becomes a part of your home, but not every piece of furniture helps shape your home. ever since its inception in 1970, the B&B italia camaleonda sofa – designed by mario bellini – has been seen as an animate object, a home-shaper, a part of your family. it enables users to create almost endless configurations to match their space or needs, all while maintaining its peculiar, unique and innovative identity. its contemporaneity continues into the present day, though, as 50 years on, the system has been updated with sustainable choices.

the camaleonda sofa joined by the gil scacchi
all images courtesy of B&B italia
(main image: 1970 photograph of the original camaleonda by aldo ballo)

the B&B italia camaleonda epitomized mario bellini’s desire to unite architecture and design. it intended to be an architectural element as much as it was designed to be a sofa, as it is capable of transforming the landscape of the interior it inhabits. it is this chameleon-like nature – the ability to constantly change – that gives the sofa its timeless quality. it adapts to evolving taste and needs while being unlimited in terms of modularity.

its geometric form enables modules to perfectly fit together

‘at the beginning of the 1970s, upholstered furniture for the home had stagnated into the tired traditional stereotypes and radical-provocative elitist forays into the future that, although stimulating, rarely challenged the relationship between the evolution of new patterns of behavior in the home and types of furniture available in the market at the time,’ explained mario bellini.

‘camaleonda is a name that I invented in 1970 by mixing two words: the first is the name of an extraordinary animal, the chameleon (camaleonte in italian), that can adapt to the environment around it and the word ‘onda’, wave, that indicates the curve of the sea and the desert. both these words describes the shape and function of this sofa. of all the objects I have designed, camaleonda is perhaps the best in terms of its sense of freedom. there are infinite number of possible configurations.’

the cables, hooks and rings of the capitonné design helps modules to be unhooked and recombined

the re-issue retains the original’s aesthetics, dimensions, proportions and configuration-ability. its geometric shape is formed by even more generous polyurethane padding upholstered in a capitonné design. this is still manufactured with an innovative system of cables, hooks and rings which allow the modules to be unhooked and recombined at will. with all parts made from recycled or recyclable materials, B&B italia’s full collection of textiles and leathers are available to adorn the sofa. the bases of the seat, backrest and armrests are made of wooden panels, and the whole body rests on spherical feet made of FSC certified beech wood.

the sofa sits on spherical feet made of FSC certified beech wood

the soft, rectangular forms of the sofa are completed by chess-like side tables and seats called gil scacchi. these accessories were inspired by chess, in particular the queen, knight and rook, hence they are called by their italian names regina, cavallo and terre. designed in 1971, they are light and easy to move, synchronizing perfectly with the dimensions of the camaleonda. the base is made of an elegant metal that contrasts with its soft body, which is produced in self-skinning polyurethane form – a first for the furniture industry at the time. the re-issue offers soft covers made of thick leather and calf hide.

‘they are among the most playful pieces of furniture I have ever designed,’ concludes mario bellini.

B&B italia’s full collection of textiles are available to adorn the sofa