THE STORY
The doors to the archives of the works by Pio Manzù open again for Alias, who, after the manzù armchair, now brings to life another historic design by the brilliant protagonist of Italian car design of the Sixties.
This journey into the culture of design has given Alias the opportunity to discover a deep-rooted affinity with the historical figure of Pio Manzù. One of the first designers to have conceived the man-machine relationship beyond the mere functional requirements, by taking into account aspects such as safety and wellbeing. Manzù’s uncompromising approach to design and his familiarity with technology made him a genuine pioneer in the sphere of ergonomics.
This time the focus of attention is a table designed for the Agnelli home in Rome: Manzù imagined a tabletop mounted on a central support secured to the floor. With the slenderness typical of Eero Saarinen’s designs and the resourcefulness of Pierre Chareau, he styled a base with a sculptural quality that supports a round top, with a central part turning relative to the outer crown where people sit at, so as to provide more effective service to each.
DRAWINGS FROM ARCHIVE.
The table with central leg by Pio Manzù is the result of a profile rotating around a central axis. The archive drawings show how the profile was designed according to different geometric profiles, which generated a series of shapes with different tensions.
SIZES & FINISHES.
Alias decided to take a close look at the version with a symmetrical leg, a sturdy central column.The concept took shape and was given tangible form.The structure of the table, made of compact polyurethane painted different colours, supports the round top proposed in three sizes (140, 160 and 180 cm diameters).
In keeping with the philosophy that inspired the original project, Alias developed a table top comprised of two elements: the central circle, proposed in stove enamelled or anodised or marble veneered aluminium, rotates relative to the crown, made of painted MDF, meeting a variety of functional requirements associated with contemporary life.
The table reflects the ability of the historic Italian-made design brand to select from the past an object having great innovative potential and transferring it into today’s world with a few touches that make it extremely current.
Discover more at: http://alias.design/en-us/products/manzu-table