Outdoors with Molteni&C.

17/03/2023 - The first Molteni&C. Outdoor Collection is an outstanding collection of outdoor furniture designed by Vincent Van Duysen, bringing all the comfort of historic Giussano indoor furniture to the outdoors. Sofas, armchairs, sun loungers and tables for outdoor use create a harmonious union between past and present, seamlessly blending architecture and nature.
 
For the Molteni&C. outdoor collection, Van Duysen draws on the brand's rich design tradition, reinterpreting it through the work of great international designers - from Foster + Partners to Ron Gilad, Gio Ponti, Luca Meda and Van Duysen himself. "As with the 2022 indoor collection, I pursued an idea of soft comfort and organic playfulness in an architectural vision of furniture for the new outdoor collection. Modernism inspired me to refer to the idea of permeability and transparency between indoor and outdoor spaces and the intimate connection between light and nature," says Vincent Van Duysen, Creative Director of Molteni&C.
 
The Molteni&C. Outdoor Collection contains different design concepts, all of which coexist within a single organic vision.
 
The Landmark Collection is a fusion of tradition, craft and timeless style - richly detailed sofas, small couches, chaise longues and armchairs. At the heart of the collection is a tribute to one of Molteni&C's most iconic archive designs by Luca Meda, whose classic Palinfrasca sofa, initially designed in 1994, finds new life in the open air. Vincent Van Duysen's Timeout collection features outdoor furniture inspired by the essential forms of modernist architecture, where delicate lines soften the seemingly cold character of the metal. References to the technique of fer forgé also characterise the collection. The Phoenix sofa is structurally defined by a burnished lacquered aluminium band that traces the silhouette like a continuous ribbon. The band of the Golden Gate table frames a teak or lava stone slatted table top. The Heritage Collection includes a re-edition of two Gio Ponti armchairs. The D.150.5 chaise longue was originally designed in 1952 for the outdoor spaces of the Andrea Doria cruise liner, and the D 154.2 armchair - now in an outdoor version - was designed in 1954 for the Planchart villa in Caracas (1953-57). The Molteni&C. Outdoor collection is completed by exterior rugs designed by Van Duysen, Nicola Gallizia and Marta Ferri. The latter also curated a sophisticated new collection of fine outdoor textiles characterised by subtle patterns and warm tones.

Finally, two iconic stand-alone pieces by Foster + Partners and Ron Gilad - the Arc sculpture table with an all-cement finish and the Panna Cotta occasional tables with a stainless steel frame and perforated top supporting a Pietra Lavica base. Both in perfect dialogue with a collection designed for life in the open air. The dialogue among materials is a leitmotif throughout the entire collection. The use of solid teak in the Landmark Collection naturally complements the metal profiles of the Timeout Collection, while the cement finish of the Arc table by Foster + Partners creates an interplay of contrasts and references with the perforated iron top and lava stone base of the Panna Cotta table by Ron Gilad. Interwoven motifs are a key conceptual reference throughout the collection. They take the form of polypropylene rope details in the Timeout Collection or teak or EVA polyurethane bands used for the back of the Palinfrasca sofa, inspired by the Mediterranean tradition of basket weaving.
 
Completing the entire Molteni&C. Outdoor collection is the Helios outdoor kitchen designed by Vincent Van Duysen. "Conviviality and refinement are the keywords I wanted to attribute to this outdoor kitchen. A simple yet structured piece of furniture, where function and sophistication coexist to create a modern look," says creative director Vincent Van Duysen. Helios embodies craft combined with innovative technology, making it suitable for outdoor use. With its clean, rigorous lines and monolithic effect, it is a perfect match for both the Landmark and Timeout collections.
 
The Outdoor Collection material palette is a carefully coordinated study of the interactions of organic tones like rust, desert yellow, earth brown, olive green and anthracite that create a unique personality.
 
Sustainability also has its place in the new collection. The predominantly single-material furniture is sourced from certified supply chains; parts are replaceable and, in the case of the upholstery, recyclable. The colours of the lava stone surfaces are made from recycled glass from discarded TV and PC monitors. A process of crushing and grinding creates the raw material for the decorations and full-field colouring.
 
"This new idea of outdoor furniture is based on cultural and design references from tradition, but it is also modern, characterised by an idea of simplicity that comes from a careful study of proportions. Cutting-edge technology is hidden, and the materials are natural and timeless. The collection reflects the intrinsic characteristics of the Molteni&C identity: fine artisanship, refined details and the beauty of the individual objects, containing echoes of the grand master architects and designers of the past, reinterpreted in this collection. The new outdoor proposal has the same graphic presence and sense of timeless elegance that I find in the brand," concludes Vincent Van Duysen.

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