Ten must-see design projects at Salone del Mobile 2022

Aka is a “stool-like chair” made of beech plywood and is a praise for functional hybridisation. The bare structure of the object, as well as its rigorous geometry, recalls some of Grcic's earlier experiments. The union of the three sections of plywood highlights how craftsmanship and industry can complement each other through the “poetry of making”. The front leg becomes a backrest and then something else, offering different possibilities of use. It is also interesting to look at Aka from underneath, to see the construction details - and not only - that are usually given little attention.

The One mixer seems to be generated by a vertical coupling between a water selection lever and its spout: a single element contains what is needed to regulate water quantity and temperature, by means of a progressive cartridge. Small in size and with a twenty-two millimetre tube section, it is practical and intuitive to use. A timeless product indeed.

The Zanotta stand celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the collection Quaderna, designed by the Florentine group Superstudio, through the design of a layout featuring the collection's typical timeless grid, adapted to the space. The development of the exhibition space is as geometric and effective as the orthogonal lines of its decoration. Quaderna's 50th anniversary collection, enriched with new elements, not only renews its dialectical relationship with the living space, but also reminds us how important it is to design from a thought.

The Taipi sofa, with its burnished tubular metal frame, becomes an instrument for adopting different postures: the possibility of moving the backrests - through a simple rotation - allows Taipi to be used at different times of the day, according to one's needs. The composition, with its essential and well-designed lines, appears as a clear invitation to conversation.

The LLL lamp is a project presented at Salone Satellite, an important showcase for young designers under 35 - this year over six hundred - from all over the world. Pietro Sculco, an engineer by training, has designed this lamp composed of two or more rechargeable mobile elements, printed in 3D directly in his studio; the distractive handle, built in the lighting body, favours flexibility in the use of the lamp. His way of presenting himself, talking about ideas and patents, is also interesting.

The Orlando writing desk, with a solid wood frame and multilayer top, reinterprets some references to the past in a cultured, elegant and silent way. It can be thought of as a contemporary school desk projected into the home or the workplace, in which the folded plywood panel creates the top and a space underneath for storing objects.  

Pavilion 05 Stand C12

The Velit chair, designed for both indoor and outdoor space, is made with a metal tube frame. The constructive solution adopted for the design of the seat and backrest is particularly interesting: a steel wire with the apparent consistency of rope, thanks to its flexibility and softness. The self-skinning polyurethane cushion, provided with fastening elements that exploit the very presence of the seat's metal filaments, functionally completes this comfortable and stackable chair. 

The Switch On Mixer conveys the idea of an intuitive, controlled management of water and its temperature. The collection uses simplified lines and rigorous proportions in order to guarantee the “switching on” of water, importing - effectively - the conceptual experience of wall switches and temperature dimmers.

The Ixa LED lamp collection offers the possibility of using light where needed, with maximum “geometric freedom” in space. The three proposed solutions are defined by a timeless character, in which the various construction components - although clearly evident - are never invasive or predominant: diffusers, joints, stems and counterweights are part of the same organism ready for movement.