alessandro mendini presents his first designs for kartell at salone del mobile

alessandro mendini presents his first designs for kartell at salone del mobile
(above) roy – stool/side table
materials: mass-dyed polycarbonate
dimensions: diam. 45 x H 41 cm
colors: orange, green, pink, crystal

on the occasion of the 2015 salone del mobile, esteemed italian designer and architect alessandro mendini presents two projects for kartell, marking his first collaboration with the company in a career that spans more than 50 years. the two pieces – an injection-moulded stool and a wall-mounted clock – clearly display mendini’s distinctive aesthetics, patterned with his typically tribal motifs. designboom interviews alessandro mendini regarding his long-time relationship with the italian company, and finds out more about the challenges of manufacturing his designs.

the vibrantly colored stool doubles as a small side table
image © designboom

the vibrantly colored stool, which doubles as a side table, is named ‘roy’ in a clear reference to the american pop artist roy lichtenstein. available in fluorescent green, orange and pink, the seating object has been crafted using mass-dyed polycarbonate.

‘the shape of the stool is the ancient shape of a chinese stool, and the pattern is a kind of interpretation of a roy lichtenstein pattern. so I mixed these two very different things together’, alessandro mendini told designboom.

detail of the stool’s patterned surface
image © designboom

crystal palace – wall clock
dimensions: diam. 34 x H 3,5 cm
materials: thermoplastic technopolymer
colors: orange, green, pink, crystal

the second part of the collection, is a clock made from a thermoplastic technopolymer, also rendered in the same vibrant colors. the timepiece takes its ‘crystal palace’ name from london’s famous glass hall, where mendini recalls a particularly impressive collection of wall-mounted clocks.

the clock is made from a thermoplastic technopolymer
image © designboom

alessandro mendini’s bold designs presented at the kartell stand during salone del mobile 2015

sketches detailing the pattern and scale of ‘roy’

the wall clock is available in a range of bright neon colors

the kartell stand brings together its established designs alongside its latest products

alessandro mendini at the kartell stand
portrait © designboom

alessandro mendini with claudio luti, president of kartell