DESIGN ISLAND
Buon Weekend (XX x XX x h XX m)
design DIEGO GRANDI
production ROSENTHAL and SAMBONET
Concept
The project considers the objects and interprets the architectural spaces of the
State University of Milan in terms of their use, where the term ‘mutant’ refers
to what is flexible, adaptable and mobile. This idea is expressed through a
reinterpretation of the archetype of the tent, which becomes the fulcrum of the
installation. A light structure composed of four large colored sheets wraps an
existing tree to suggest places for lingering, socializing, relaxing inside the
green zone of the garden.
A convivial moment in which Sambonet and Rosenthal provide the indispensable
linkage. In a new take on the picnic, and activating a readymade procedure,
cutlery, trays and dishes leave the table to enter a more informal setting,
defining the topography of an artificial landscape that offers more intimate
areas for sitting, dining and spending time on the much-awaited weekend.
DIEGO GRANDI, architect and designer, lives and works in Milan, where in 2002 he
created DGO, a studio that works on interior design, product design and
consultancy. His focus on surfaces and the visual aspects of design has led to
research on the “skin value” of materials and their possible alterations and
contaminations. The two-dimensional results of a project can also take on threedimensional impact, defining a new code of living that starts with observation of
everyday behavior patterns and habits. This approach leads to projects like the
Mapper carpets and the Le Module wallpapers for Jannelli & Volpi, shown for the
first time at the International Design Biennial of Saint Etienne, and selected
for the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Since then,
projects and collaborations with companies like Abet Laminati, DuPont Corian,
Guzzini, Lea Ceramiche and Skitsch have alternated with participation in
important international events and exhibitions, like the Salon du Meuble of
Paris and the Milan Triennale, as well as teaching activities in Italian design
schools. Grandi’s work has received international awards and honors, including
inclusion in the ADI Design Index of the City project for Lea Ceramiche, while
the Oppiacei table designed for Skitsch was selected, in 2010, for the
interpretation of the Design Museum at the Milan Triennale.