B&B Italia expands outdoor furniture collection
B&B Italia has unveiled four new additions to its outdoor furniture collection – brand-new products all signed by a range of international designers and studios.
The first new addition, titled Nooch, sees the work of Piero Lissoni come to life through a unique modular seating system. With a name inspired by the tropical botanical garden of Nong Nooch in Thailand, a key design tenet was sustainability, hence the product’s tubular structure is made from recycled aluminium. A choice inspired by simplicity as well as sustainability, the material allows for unique bends – such as that seen on the elbow curve.
Nooch’s design also offers the possibility of creating multiple seating combinations from two base modules: rectangular and square. Both can be equipped with backrests and armrests, while an aluminium top with slats forms space upon which cushions can rest. Modules can be arranged as free-standing units or attached together, while a series of additional tables can be added in to increase compositional freedom. Paddings are designed with sustainability in mind, using regenerate materials – one layer made of polyurethane recycled from production waste and one made of virgin bio-polyurethane, both wrapped in an outer sheath of recycled PET.
The second addition to the collection is the Allure O’ Outdoor table, designed by Monica Armani. Striking a balance between straight lines and sinuous curves, design is graceful yet functional, allowing for adaption to two different heights when needed. The base-frame is made from moulded grey cement, while tops are available in lightened grey concrete and a glossy, glazed stoneware. Produced using a slow, single firing process at a temperature of 250°C, surfaces are then manually glazed by airbrush, allowing for unique depth and variety of colour. Chromatic variations include an ocean blue, clay and classic dove grey.
The Flair O ‘ Outdoor chair, meanwhile, also designed by Armani, is characterised by a lightweight aluminium frame, which is completely covered in interlaced polypropylene ribbons. The backrest is woven using a circular loom, or tombolo, in line with ancient traditions typical of the area in which B&B Italia is based. Armani collaborated with unPIZZO, a design studio based in Cantù, to finetune the weaving technique used. The chair, which is completed with a two-padded cushion, is available in the same tones as the corresponding table, and also comes in two height variations.
The final addition to the collection is the Cordoba Outdoor armchair, created by Foster + Partners Industrial Design Studio. A natural teak wood forms the basis of the frame, while the backrest and seat are covered in a reinforced canvas made of polypropylene that gives a natural material feel. Coverings are available in green, blue, brick and dove grey – colours inspired by nature – and are easily removable when needed. With sustainability in mind, the armchair has been designed so that, at the end of its life cycle, all of its components can be separated and disposed of as needed.
