POLTRONA FRAU CELEBRATES 110 YEARS WITH FELIPE PANTONE COLLABORATION
In 1912, Sardinian-born Renzo Frau founded Poltrona Frau, one of the most respected and well-known companies in Italian design and manufacturing. Named for its founder and the Italian word for chair, the Turin-born brand has built a strong reputation throughout the world, especially for its 21-step leather-tanning process. To celebrate the brand’s 110th anniversary, Argentinian-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone—whose work leverages a decidedly digital aesthetic, seemingly in contrast to the company’s artisanal style—collaborated with the company, working on an iteration of the Archibald armchair, originally designed in 2009 by Jean-Marie Massaud. Pantone’s Archibald Anniversary Limited Edition draws from his Chromadynamica series of glitchy digital patterns. The bold, kaleidoscopic chair has been produced in a limited edition of 110 pieces.
In 1912, Sardinian-born Renzo Frau founded Poltrona Frau, one of the most respected and well-known companies in Italian design and manufacturing. Named for its founder and the Italian word for chair, the Turin-born brand has built a strong reputation throughout the world, especially for its 21-step leather-tanning process. To celebrate the brand’s 110th anniversary, Argentinian-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone—whose work leverages a decidedly digital aesthetic, seemingly in contrast to the company’s artisanal style—collaborated with the company, working on an iteration of the Archibald armchair, originally designed in 2009 by Jean-Marie Massaud. Pantone’s Archibald Anniversary Limited Edition draws from his Chromadynamica series of glitchy digital patterns. The bold, kaleidoscopic chair has been produced in a limited edition of 110 pieces.
The company museum, designed in 2012 by architect Michele de Lucchi, traces the company’s history and their decades of evolution. Visitors can view armchairs made for the Italian royal family; sofas designed by Gio Ponti, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Lella and Massimo Vignelli; as well as special projects for theaters and airport lounges, and experimental pieces designed by Herzog & De Meuron, Snøhetta, Forster + Partners and Renzo Piano. There are also automotive projects for Ferrari, of which Poltrona Frau is the exclusive supplier for leather interiors.
The museum offers a dive into a 100-year past, but the factory itself provides insight into contemporary craft. The work areas are large and bright, providing plenty of space for artisans. Although it’s an industrial plant with laser-cutting machines, optical-reading systems and computers, there’s no doubt about the human touch and immense skill of these craftspeople. It’s no coincidence that the employee T-shirts read “intelligence in our hands.”
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