Alessandro Mendini, Italian, (1931-2019)

Alessandro Mendini was an Italian designer and architect. He was born in Milan in 1931. Later, he graduated from the Politecnico di Milano in 1959 with a degree in architecture. He became the editor-in-chief of Domus magazine in 1979 and influenced the landscape of modern design through his postmodern works, such as the Proust Armchair. His aim was to leave behind commercialism in design, in order to bring artistry and creativity to the forefront. He opened his own practice, the Atelier Mendini, in 1989, which he ran until his death in 2019.

He designed many buildings, including the Alessi residence in Italy, a memorial tower in Hiroshima, and the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands. The Groninger is considered one of the greatest postmodern buildings of the 20th century. His radical approach to product design was influential in the field of modern design. Mendini also collaborated with many different brands, including Cartier, Venini, Vacheron Constantin, and Hermes.

Alessandro Mendini Do-Ro-Ta collection offered on Styylish

In 2015 the Milan Design Fair featured a collaboration between Comforty and Alessandro Mendini. By placing the concept of the products designed for Comforty between the traditional and the contemporary, Alessandro Mendini introduced versatile pieces into the collection – tables and stools, and a rare inlayed wood technique. Traditional craftsmanship merged with new technology results in perfect shapes that become a medium for neo-pop and abstract compositions. In a return to basic forms, the archetypal geometry allowed for the design of three cylindrical forms of different heights and diameters that can shift from one function to another. Depending on the need, they are easily adaptable to various settings as seats, tables, and stools. The geometric simplicity is made sophisticated through the generous texture of the natural wood – walnut, ipe lapacho, and elm veneer.

Alessandro Mendini about the Do-Ro-Ta collection:

The cylinder is a perfect geometric shape. These three little pieces from Do-Ro-Ta furniture feature cylinders of different heights and diameters. The first is a very low, wide stool suitable for two or three people; the second is a conventional stool for one; and the third is a small coffee table. Their decorative look is provided by a composition of three different types of inlaid wood that generate naturalistic and abstract figures with a neo-pop character. The wood confers a poetic and organic feeling on these three objects. They are like geometrized tree trunks brought inside the home.

Alessandro Mendini March 2015