Carlo Mollino

Mollino, versatile personality from the Turin of '50s, is remembered to be architect, artist, designer and photographer. But even as being fond of cars, airplanes and winter sports, all aspects well present in his creativity: in the sinuous curves of the wooden frames that support his tables you may retrace the snow-covered slopes and the tracks where he used to drive his fast cars. In the metal joints connecting the design objects there is a memory of the aviation engineering works. His alpine architectures show frames rising up into the sky.

Zanotta has significantly contributed to re-discover Carlo Mollino’s works, thanks to the watchful eye of the founder Aurelio. Several pieces designed between the ’40s and ’50s, were put into production starting from 1982, most of them still in the catalogue: the Fenis chair that Mollino designed for the Faculty of Architecture in Turin (also used in the interiors of Casa Provera), a high quality re-design of the seats from Valle d’Aosta region; the Milo mirror (designed for Casa Miller), reproducing the silhouette of the famous Venus, the Erodia mirror- headboard, studied for Casa Devalle, the Carlino night table, first object designed by Mollino in 1933; the Reale table, worldwide known for a record auction' sale at Sotheby's in 2005 (sold at more than 3 and a half million dollars); the Ardea and Gilda armchairs reflecting the designer's eclectic style; the Arabesco small table, which was initially designed in "free" versions for the Singer shop and later for Casa Orengo, before being manufactured by Zanotta in its final aspect with a balance between the bent oak plywood shapes and the plate glass top. And again one piece that is still very requested by the international market: the Cavour writing desk, with soaring and slender lines. However in the Reale table (name is due to the Insurance company it was designed for) you may find Mollino’s plastic and experimental qualities gathered harmoniously: the organic and engineering aspects blend in a timeless elegance, in a pure taste for challenge.

The "authentic" architect (as he loved to be called) becomes, thanks to a real personal style, the symbol of an era where Modernism meets Surrealism. 


(note: the product Erodia mentioned in this article has been discontinued)