To celebrate 10 years of collaboration at the highest level, Passoni Design, a Friuli-based company specialising in high-end wooden furniture with art director Luca Botto, e atelier oï, a renowned Swiss architectural firm founded by a trio of distinguished architects, present Radice, the new collection of chairs with a strong natural inspiration.
The concept
For Passoni Design each session is a world apart, a universe to be experienced and interpreted. Root Collectionwith the collaboration of atelier oï, amplifies this desire to work with wood to create an element with a strong natural appeal. In fact, the name immerses us in a forest with majestic trees and, above all, with firm roots that have the function of anchoring and therefore of support, but also of development by contributing to the subsequent growth of the branches. A founding element from which the idea of starting with a wooden structure consisting of three legs, which are indeed "rooted" to guarantee stability, while the main axis emerges from the ground and unfolds like branches to form the seat and armrests, thus evoking the structure of a tree.
The collection
Root comes in two models: a chair with armrests and a chair without, in which comfort and aesthetic and functional elegance come together as always in Passoni's furniture. Two variants that have been designed to adapt perfectly to different environments, from restaurants to professional conference rooms. A fresh and sophisticated proposal where the softness of the lines rises to envelop the guest in a warm embrace.
A word from the protagonists
"In ten years of collaboration with atelier oï," confirms Tommaso Passoni, Ceo of the brand, "we have developed six different collections that, although linked by a common spirit, individually express completely different characteristics. A continuous dialogue and a common passion for wood and natural materials have allowed us to tell, through design, new stories that over all these years have made us grow and be appreciated all over the world. The Radice collection is a new story that once again excites us".
He is echoed by Atelier Oï who adds: 'In this latest collaboration with Passoni, our aim was to create a chair that represented a balance between the practicality of
a standard chair and the comfort of an armchair. The wooden frame with soft lines combined with upholstered elements provides a cosy and comfortable seating experience.
The three legs are rooted for stability, while the main axis emerges from the ground and unfolds like branches to form the seat and armrests, evoking the structure of a tree."
A story that began more than 70 years ago, in a small village in Friuli with a great tradition in woodworking and in particular chairs.
In 1948, the first Passoni workshop; today the family business is in its fourth generation: a passion passed on from father to son, from Luigi to Ermanno, Alvise and Tommaso. In 1963, the first participation in the Salone del Mobile in Milan; from then on, the long journey into the world of design began: a research that has always remained faithful to wood and natural materials.
Important are the certifications and recognitions that the company has obtained in recent years: since 2009, among the first companies in Italy, Passoni has been using FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) certified wood, coming from a responsible supply chain that protects the forest heritage, the environment, local communities and workers. Its commitment to research has been recognised with the ADI Design Index Award 2019 for innovation and sustainable design. Thanks to the work of its art director, Luca Botto, the brand anticipates trends by proposing modern collections destined to become icons.
The atelier oï, consisting of the trio of architects Aebi Aurel, Louis Armand and Reymond Patrick, was founded in 1991 in La Neuvevillein Switzerland. With a team spirit and an intimate relationship with materials, it has been committed to dissolving gender barriers and promoting transdisciplinary creativity for almost 30 years. Born out of an intuitive and emotional affinity between the three founders, the oï atelier works across disciplines in architecture, interior design, product design and set design, creating holistic solutions from object to space. The founders have a strong interest in nature and natural materials, and their experience in the transformation of these allows them to realise emotional and artisanal projects.
