Chairs stand tall at Promosedia
By Ray Allegrezza -- Furniture Today, September 23, 2001
UDINE, Italy — While some people may view the world as a series of black-or-white propositions, not so with the Italians.
Throughout Italy and elsewhere in Europe, color is king. Nowhere was that more apparent than at the recent Promosedia show, held here each year.
For the past 25 years, Promosedia, the group that sponsors the International Chair Exhibition, has turned the spotlight on chairs of virtually every type, color, shape and design.
This year, some of the design-specific honors bestowed at the show included the Top Ten Award, sponsored by the Banca di Cividale SpA., which recognizes form, function and technology of the 10 best new chair designs.
Promosedia also conducts the Design Competition, a contest open to students of design. In addition, this year marked the fifth Ernesto Caiazza Promosedia Competition: Ideas for the Design of a European Chair, an event sponsored by the Banca Popolare FriulAdria.
While chairs shown here come from manufacturers worldwide, most originate in the Friuli area of Italy, also known as the Chair Triangle. According to Robert DeLuca, Promosedia's director, the Italian Chair District consists of about 1,200 companies making mostly seating but also tables and some decorative accessories.
All told, the region employs some 15,000 workers who produce about 44 million chairs annually. That number, DeLuca said, represents about 80% of Italy's total chair production, 50% of European production and about 30% of the total world production of seating products.
| Fagun, a maker of specialized sculptural furniture, came from Finland to display its line. The products rely primarily on plywood made of Finnish silver birch. |
| This sleek plywood-backed chair from Grup Sedia was judged to be one of the 10 best designs at the show. |
| Color and shape were central themes at Natison Sedia, a company that describes its lighthearted approach to product as "a reaction to the seriousness of traditional furniture." These Waves chairs, designed by Jens Ring Bursche, won the Chair Of The Year Award. |
| This solid beechwood dining ensemble from Calligaris, featuring frosted, tempered glass, typifies one of the dominant dining looks at the show. |
| This hand-carved number from BodyChairs underscores Promosedia's variety in design. |
| The Malpensa Chair, above, named after the busy Milan Airport, gives travelers a combination suitcase and seatcase. Designed by Alessandro Blasucci and Raffaello Molina, the chair received special mention in the Fifth Annual Ernesto Caiazza Promosedia Competition: Ideas for Design of a European Chair. |
| This colorful and comprehensive assortment of juvenile furniture from Adex is currently sold in Europe and Japan, although the company is planning to expand distribution to the United States. |
| Manzano, a town in the heart of the Italian Chair District, claims to have the world's largest chair. |
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Reinvented Promosedia showcases Italian design
Oct 22, 2006 -
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