Page 66 - Designing Ways 266

EVENTS

A Study of Hues

Salone del Mobile.Milano
- Rho Fairgrounds -

Pav. 4 Stand M12

ALPI showroom - Via

Solferino 7, Milan

uring Milano Design Week 2023,
ALPI is presenting new wood
Dveneers at the Salone del Mobile. Contract projects and furniture design wood by combining colour graphically,
Milano in Rho and at the ALPI showroom find an ideal material in ALPI veneer. creating a decorative surface with a
in downtown Milan. The veneers are the The presentation continues at the ALPI mysterious character. Arcobaleno (Italian
result of teamwork with international and showroom on Via Solferino, where the for "rainbow") is composed of multiple
Italian designers, demonstrating yet again new woods take on the shape of unusual tonalities, joyous and lively, like the iris
the company's skill and prowess in the totems and solids. This symphony of of an eye. Raggiosole is more sober,
reinvention of wood. forms offers visitors a three-dimensional showing a strong aesthetic personality of
Hosted in a space designed by Piero rendition of the veneers, multiplying the warm shades running from red to black.
Lissoni at the trade show, ALPI will points of view. Although highly diverse, the two veneers
illustrate its ability to interpret wood. The The main new item of 2023 is a have in common a pleasing visual impact
stand's discontinuous geometric lines project originating in the encounter not easily forgotten.
and volumes showcase the versatility and between Vittorio Alpi and the German The production of ALPI veneers is
design potential of ALPI wood. Conceived designer Konstantin Grcic, whose in- a long and painstaking sequence of
as a fluid, open setting, the exhibit's depth knowledge of wood facilitated individual processes, but this is precisely
geometric elements (volumes and panels) his exploration of new directions with what yields endless design possibilities.
are entirely covered with ALPI wood to ALPI, opening wide the horizons of The colours of Arcobaleno progress
suggest different fields of application.
research. Previously unseen decorative from blue to green to yellow, orange,
interpretations are substantiated in the red, magenta, purple and back to blue.
new veneers Arcobaleno and Raggiosole. Raggiosole is inspired by the sunburst
These two new types of wood show finish of electric guitars from the 1960s.
the result of a lengthy process of research Its colour scheme develops from red-
and development regarding colour, one orange to ivory to black to ivory and
of the cultural mainstays at ALPI. Grcic red-orange. Both veneers follow the same
experimented for many months with logic in how they are structured, but they
the R&D department, focusing on the could not be more different in mood.
possibility to gradually blend one colour One is psychedelic and pop; the other
into another and alternate them in a more austere. Both are suitable for large
programmed sequence. From a distance, and small formats, straight and curved
the chromatic effect transitions smoothly. surfaces" says Konstantin Grcic.
From close up, it gives the illusion of an New products presented during the
almost natural veining. The outcome of Milan Design Week include a veneer
this great challenge gives insight into the conceived by Piero Lissoni. It enriches
enormous creative potential lying at the the Xilo wood collection with a new
root of ALPI wood. shade named Kakao, a deep, enveloping
chocolate brown that enhances the range
"Colour research is part of our product and expresses its inherent potential.
culture at ALPI, but it had never gone as Kakao was the missing member of
deep as with Konstantin Grcic. His two a collection whose allure lies in the
amazing new veneers, Arcobaleno and perfect intensity of nature. Its veining
Raggiosole, explore the attractive nature of and shading reproduce Mother Nature's
interacting colours" says Vittorio Alpi. calibrated chromatic nuances and exalt
the living material of wood by imitating
The industrial designer Konstantin its characteristics.
Grcic found a new way to interpret

66 Issue 266 • dw