BIG SEE Talks with Pedrali

Q: Coney really looks “chairful”. How do you design something that feels so playful, while still being durable and functional?

A: Paraphrasing our beloved Wallace Stevens, we would say that the human mind has the ability to absorb and store something the very moment it perceives it. The experience of things —nature, a rake at an art exhibition, grandma’s biscuit tins, old garden chairs — everything is preserved in our memory. Imagination can build something new out of that raw material. Something that is not a mere repetition of the past. Something that brings together fragments of experience through intuition. Intuition, by linking things that were previously unrelated and by proposing unprecedented associations of ideas, in itself provokes irony. That intuition, therefore, imposes a form on our consciousness. And this form does not have to be grand! On the contrary, if it is simple and humble, it will be universal and “light.” Simple is something that works well and, speaking of chairs, has its own solidity and resistance. When a design becomes too complicated and the concepts too sophisticated, everything becomes artificial and exhausting: designers can create very ingenious and well-constructed artifices, but they know better than anyone else that when they do, they are doing things of no importance.

All of this is expressed in an extremely poetic way in what we might choose as our manifesto-text: “La canzone intelligente”, a song by Cochi and Renato.

“If it is simple and humble,
it will be universal and ‘light’…
When a design becomes too complicated,
everything becomes artificial and exhausting.”

Windkraft Simonsfeld

Q: Is there a small detail in the chair that you’re especially proud of — something not obvious at first, but meaningful once noticed?

A: A characteristic detail of the Coney is the backrest made of a single piece of moulded metal sheet. We have designed a three-dimensional backrest that prevents the accumulation of water near the frame and minimises the number of joints. The backrest has a shape reminiscent of a comb or rake, whose upward-facing teeth appear as vertical, equally spaced and parallel slats, similar to those on the seat. From a single mould it is possible to obtain, with modifications to the moulding parameters, the backrests of all the seats in the collection.

Windkraft Simonsfeld

Q: Pedrali collaborates regularly with CMP Design. What makes this partnership meaningful for you, and how does CMP’s design philosophy reflect Pedrali’s values?

A: The collaboration with CMP Design began in 2012 with the launch of the first Malmö seating collection and is rooted in shared values: a commitment to quality, functionality, and a timeless, essential aesthetic.
Through a design approach that merges craftsmanship with industrial production, CMP Design perfectly interprets the philosophy of the company – creating beautiful, appealing products that address real user needs while promoting individual well-being and environmental harmony.
Over the years, this collaboration has led to collections distinguished by a careful material selection, meticulous attention to detail and exceptional comfort. These designs are made to last and naturally adapt to both indoor and outdoor spaces. Sustainability is also a key pillar of this partnership: the products CMP Design creates for Pedrali are designed to be easily disassembled and recycled, reflecting the commitment of the company to a responsible production.

“Our collaboration with CMP Design is rooted in shared values: quality, functionality, and a timeless, essential aesthetic.”

Windkraft Simonsfeld

About the project

Coney is an outdoor seating collection that combines functionality, comfort and a highly graphical visual impact.
The signature features of the family, which includes side chair, armchair and lounge version, are its clean lines and visual lightness.

Coney is a mono-material seating made of curved and strong tubular frame.
The seat and backrest create a three-dimensional support, ensuring structural solidity and ergonomy. The equally spaced vertical slats of the backrest, moulded and shaped from metal sheet, create a distinctive pattern together with the horizontal ones of the seat.
Coney is ideal for both breakout areas in urban spaces or restaurants and homes terraces.
A seat cushion is available as an accessory.
“The name is a clear reference to the peninsula and neighbourhood of New York known as Coney Island. Its famous beaches, amusement parks and the idea of a funfair that this name evokes are auspicious images for an item designed to be the backdrop for moments of leisure, joy and get- togethers with family and friends.” – CMP Design.

About Designers

CMP is an acronym of Cazzaniga Mandelli Pagliarulo, the three founders and friends who gave birth to the studio in 2009. All three come from a university experience at the Milan Polytechnic extremely fertile in ideas, due to the happy circumstance of a human environment full of positive and creative relationships.

Project

CONEY

Year of Completion:
2025

Location:
Italy

Contacts

Instagram:
@pedralispa

Website:
www.pedrali.com

E-mail:
info@pedrali.it

Likedin:
Pedrali Spa

Photography and video:
Pedrali

Edited by:
Blažka Drnovšek

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BIG SEE Talks with Antonio Aricò

Q: Your pieces often feel joyful and whimsical. Do you approach design primarily as serious work, or is a sense of play an essential part of your creative process?

A: A sense of play is essential—but it’s never superficial.
Joy, irony, and a touch of magic come from the spontaneity of the gesture, but behind that lightness there’s always deep thought and careful study.
For me, design is a serious act of affection.

Q: You work with a wide variety of materials. Do you ever feel constrained by any of them, or do you find that each material offers its own source of inspiration?

A: I never feel constrained—each material is a companion, with its own rhythm and poetry.
Glass, wood, terracotta… they don’t resist me, they inspire me. I love listening to them, letting their nature guide the project.
At the same time, I like to play and “lighten them up”—I never take them too seriously.
I enjoy treating natural, traditional materials in a pop and contemporary way.
And I’ve always been drawn to real materials—the ones that age beautifully, that change with time and tell their own story.

“Each material is a companion, with its own rhythm and poetry.”

– Antonio Aricò

Windkraft Simonsfeld

Q: Collaborations often shape a designer’s voice. How have different partnerships influenced your work—particularly your collaboration with Bottega Intreccio?

A: Collaborations are like conversations—each one expands your perspective and leaves a mark.
Working with Bottega Intreccio was a chance to engage with real craftsmanship, made of rhythm, patience, and hands that know exactly what they’re doing.

With Dondolina, we revisited a beautiful Italian archetype—a humble, vernacular rocking chair—and brought it into the present.
It was about balancing tradition with a light, contemporary touch. Nothing nostalgic, just a natural evolution of something familiar and dear.

It’s the same approach I followed with La Mattutina for Mulino Bianco, which was recently awarded at BIG SEE: I love taking simple, iconic shapes and letting them speak again, with new energy and meaning.

“Collaborations are like conversations—each one expands your perspective and leaves a mark.”

– Antonio Aricò

Windkraft Simonsfeld

About the project

The Dondolina armchair brings together the slow rhythm of rural tradition, the earthy hues that shape the Italian landscape, and a deep respect for Mediterranean craftsmanship. Designed by Antonio Aricò for Bottega Intreccio, it blends poetic imagination with tactile materials and cultural memory.

Its solid, tobacco-colored wicker base gives it the presence of an ancient throne, while the tall backrest in woven metal canes recalls traditional reed structures, offering an elegant play of solids and voids as light passes through. A gently contoured armrest wraps around the back with a subtle gesture, inviting comfort and use. Three sculptural cushions, each with expressive detailing, complete the piece with a sense of warmth and artistry.

Dondolina celebrates the sweet, slow rhythm of idleness — with eyes turned to the sea and the heart open to deep emotion.

Windkraft Simonsfeld
Windkraft Simonsfeld
Windkraft Simonsfeld
Green Loft
Windkraft Simonsfeld
Windkraft Simonsfeld

Antonio Aricò

Eclectic designer. Inventor of symbols. Creator of worlds.
Every work by Antonio Aricò bears the mark of his poetic vision, inspired by tradition, fantasy, romance, and the ancient.
His authorial production draws on dreamlike imagery and the blending of symbols and languages, taking shape in a range of objects and projects where design, art, and craftsmanship engage in dialogue — aiming to touch both the heart and the mind.

Project

DONDOLINA

Year of Completion:
2024

Location:
Italy

Contacts

Photography:
HELLER & DIMMER

Portrait photo:
Elisabeth Bauer

Edited by:
Blažka Drnovšek

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