Modernista
2018 Seating for Moroso
Modernista takes inspiration from architecture of Sau Paolo where modernism found expression through adventurous and pioneering works of Lina Bo Bardi and Oscar Niemeyer. The collection follows a strict geometric frame work of the rectangle within which subtle forms and exacting proportions are explored. There are two versions of this design. Modernista has formal precision while Casa Modernista for the home opens itself to relaxation and spontaneity; the cushions lose stiffness, the seating becomes deeper and welcoming, the lines softened. Despite its roots and references lying within Modernism – This collection distinguishes itself with its ambitious attempt to integrate the figurative component, representative of Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien’s work, to the linear rationality of the rectangle geometric shape.
The two designers contrast the classical composition, from meticulous attention to the surface and material performance to the emphasis of meaningful traits: the central button denies and simultaneously reworks the capitonné padding bourgeois charm, while the base, revised through colour choice and the use of steel, tempers the aesthetics of industrial manufacturing.