Hundreds of ultralight aluminum chains make up Serena Confalonieri’s design

23/03/2017 – Archiproducts Milano‘s facade changes. New glamorous colors and a stylistic hallmark with a feminine touch. Diego Grandi, the 2016 edition’s project designer, passes the baton to the young Milanese designer Serena Confalonieri, the author of Architypes, a geometric pattern made up of hundreds of ultralight Kriskadecor aluminum chains in gold, black, pink/copper and silver.

‘I accepted the invitation with enthusiasm – the designer says – not only because of the importance of the project but also because of the material with which it will be made. The metal chains, apparently detached, actually offer a highly decorative and expressive potential‘.

Architypes is a fresh project speaking the architects’ and designers’ language. The graphics and nuances take its inspiration from the typical Bauhaus traits, Art Decò, and Gio Ponti’s expressive geometry.

‘I had fun composing graphics gleaning from architecture drawings’ symbols. Doors, windows, stairs, landings, arches, battlements, electric symbols, and furniture. Playing with colors and compositions, I created a lively image which shows different details at every new glance‘. This is how the young designer describes Architypes.

The pattern colors are in sheer contrast with the total black building surface by Oikos.

‘I wanted to create cohesion with Archiproducts’ image using black and yellow: its brand colors. At the same time, I also wanted to soften this contrast adding pastel colors like pink and gray which shifted the aesthetics of this project towards the expression of an encounter between the technical and the decorative elements‘.

The distinctive trait of the material, dynamic and fickle, pushed the designer to use colors that recall metals’ purity so to enhance the decor further and make light reflection during the day a fundamental element of the project.

‘The approach in creating a dynamic surface with hundreds of moving metal chains – Serena says – is not that far from the approach that I usually have on a static surface. In this case, the stairs made the difference. Working on a facade involves an architectural analysis based on the stairs because it has in itself the signs, the proportions and being an architectural element it has its life. For this reason, I thought about a modularity-based upon the facade’s rhythm so to support its variations during the day. I also wanted to blend with the lines of the windows and the cornices for a continuous dialogue between surface and cladding‘.

EVENT INFO
“The Design Experience” @Archiproducts Milano
Via Tortona 31 – Metro: Porta Genova
4 – 9 April / h 10 – 21
EVENTBRITE LINK:
https://www.eventbrite.it/e/biglietti-the-design-experience-32728692400

Press preview 
April 3rd  / h 15 – 19
EVENTBRITE LINK:
https://www.eventbrite.it/e/biglietti-archiproducts-milano-press-preview-32815587305

Partner
Desalto, Saba Italia, Roofingreen, Buxkin, Velux, Bticino, Flos, cc-tapis, True Design, Oikos, Ideal Work, Knauf, Linvisibile, Mogs, TWS Trame di Pietra, Emko, Manutti, SP01, Texturae, Sciroccoh, 3d Surface, Montis, Twils, Billiani, Ms&Wood, Stickbulb, Bover, Strato Cucine, Bora, Frigo 2000, V-Zug, Sub-Zero, Jee-o, Luctra, Ronel Jordaan, Royal Botania, Falmec, Unical,
Bang and Olufsen, British Fires, Dsignedby, Sayduck

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Vittorio Martini, Kriska, Dieffebi, Smeg, Karpeta, Woodskin, Cea, Moab 80, Ethimo, Magis, Tacchini 

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