Gaetano Pesce’s Privacy Screen Resembles a New York Skyline

Italian design icon Gaetano Pesce looked to the buildings of New York City when creating this collaged privacy screen for Cassina. The 82-year-old architect’s distinctly playful approach has seen him develop a kaleidoscope of colours in resin, in order to achieve what he describes as a “happy object”.

Named “Tramonto a New York” or Italian for “Sunset in New York“, Pesce envisioned a design that sees layers of resin placed on top of one another, in a bid to recreate the outline of the city’s skyscrapers. Colours were specially developed, with pigments mixed specifically to his preference.

The rectangular “facades” making up the screen range in colour from purple and blue, to pink and green. Above them, a large, round shape cast in red resin is intended to represent the sun. The three panels are joined together with bronzed brass hinges, while a plaque indicates the name and year of the project along with Pesce’s signature.

“New York is a place thriving with innovation and colours,” Pesce says. “My screen recalls the shapes of its towers with the tints of their spatial vitality. The result is a positive, innovative, happy object that will bring value to the space where it will be placed.”

Pesce is known for his work with resin, and on this occasion opted to use it instead of glass because of its ability to take colour. “The material used to make it is dear to me because it has more quality than glass in terms of transparency, brightness and non-fragility,” he said. “Resin is a better material than its traditional counterparts for its ease of workmanship and high-quality of its products.”

“Tramato a New York” forms part of Cassina’s 2022 collection, and marks the latest in a series of collaborations between the brand and Pesce. The rest of the collection will be unveiled during this year’s Salone del Mobile furniture fair, taking place in Milan from June 7 to 12.

Elsewhere in design, Swedish brand Hem has revealed its first collection designed by Milan-based studio Formafantasma – a minimalist, modular shelving system that has sustainability at its core.