MDF Italia Makes The Most of Metal for New Capsule Collection
Reimagining iconic pieces in mirror-finish materials.
This year, MDF Italia is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and as such, is getting suitably nostalgic. To mark the occasion, the brand has taken a look back at its own archives and has reimagined four of its icons in new materials. Launching at the Aram Gallery during London Design Festival, the “Principle of Lightness” collection made up of the “Tense” table, “Minima” bookcase, “Le Banc” bench and “Lofty” chair. Each has been remade in either polished steel or aluminum, in a bid to “simultaneously freeze them in time while bringing new life to them”.
Tense, originally designed by Piergiorgio and Michele Cazzaniga in 2009, became popular thanks to its flexibility – it can be extended out to four meters, catering for even the biggest of dinner parties. For the new version, MDF Italia crafted it from hand-polished steel to give it a mirrored finish. From tables to bookcases, the shelves and frames making up Minima – designed in 1998 by Bruno Fattorini – have been reimagined in aluminum. The collection is completed by two seats. The Le Banc bench was introduced to the MDF Italia collection in 2001 and is the brainchild of Xavier Lust. Its profile is made from curved aluminum that measures just six millimeters in thickness, rendering it lightweight and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Lastly, the Lofty – designed by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga in 2004 – is described by the brand as the “perfect synthesis of technology and craftsmanship”, and is the result of a long design process that required various experimentations in the shaping of steel.
The pieces are available in a limited-edition run and will be exhibited at various global locations in celebration of the brand’s anniversary. The first stop is in London until September 29, when the city-wide design festival is currently taking place. In case you missed it, check out our picks of the must-visit shows and installations taking place across the rest of the capital.
Aram Gallery
110 Drury Lane
WC2B 5SG
