The “Kartell worlds” and new products for 2016
Technological, process, and materials innovation
Kartell’s creative approach towards its products inevitably requires innovation in the field of processes and continual research into the new working methods and new materials that represent the brand’s added value. From the transparent plastics that ushered in a new era in plastic design, to the continual analysis of how moulded materials perform, Kartell has challenged itself to break new ground ranging from injected carbon to moulded organic fibres.
KABUKI, Ferruccio Laviani
The final version of the Kabuki floor lamp is now here. The Kabuki lamp’s sophisticated injection-moulding technology allowed Kartell to create a woven structure that resembles lace, with a special openwork surface through which light is diffused.
PIUMA, Piero Lissoni
2016 saw the completion of the “Piuma” project by Piero Lissoni. The chair is one of the most revolutionary and enterprising products in Kartell’s repertoire of technology and materials. It took three years of intensive research to settle on the unusual blend needed to create Piuma’s basic design: a carbon- filled thermoplastic polymer compound that gives the structure greater mechanical rigidity and a lower weight. This is a compound that comes from completely different sectors of the industry-automotive and aeronautics – and was therefore completely unprecedented in the world of furnishings.
By applying its injection moulding techniques in a sophisticated new way that was designed especially for this material, an exclusive in the world of industrial design, Kartell has managed to create a chair that measures just a few millimetres thick (2 mm max), resulting in an ultra-light product (barely 2.2 kg). It is the first time that a material containing carbon fibre has been injection moulded, and for an aesthetic, stylish product at that. Thanks to this unprecedented mix of materials, the Piuma is not only extremely light and slender but also incredibly durable, flexible, suitable for outdoor use and foldable.
LARGO, Piero Lissoni
Another brand new model coming out in 2016 is the Largo, a sofa system with various possible configurations that offers solid support and a linear design thanks to its wide cushions. This product is rendered particularly special by the textiles research that went into it, representing a new field of development for the Kartell Soft collection. In fact, the Kartell Soft catalogue has now been completely updated with a broad choice of fabrics (cotton, linen, trevira) both in plainer versions and patterned and graphic models (various floral patterns, houndstooth, stripes) for the indoor models of the Pop, Pop Duo, Plastics, Plastics Duo and Trix by Piero Lissoni and the Foliage by Patricia Urquiola. In addition, the Pop Outdoor collection has various new textile variants in both its basic and striped versions.
MULTIPLO, Antonio Citterio
The final version of the Multiplo line of tables is being launched This broad range of tables marks a milestone in design and industrialisation, ranging from the minimalist to the decorative, from pop art to more elegant designs, from bourgeois dining tables to the perfect bar tables for contract furniture. Its multi-purpose nature has been conceived to make it highly customisable, playing with forms (a rounded square, circle, and oval) and the mix-and-match bases (central base, or with two, three or four spokes) and tabletops (in solid grey or marble and glass finishes).
PLANET, Tokujin Yoshioka
A complete family of lamps (pendants, low table lamps, and lamps with metal structures) its special feature is the shape of its slightly elliptical diffuser. Its transparent surface, which is many-sided both inside and out, creates a rich tapestry of reflections. The table lamp comes in three versions: smoke/black, yellow/gold, transparent/chrome.
