ARCHITECTS FOR ALESSI

Just in time for the holidays, we have a great new selection of items from ALESSI, the preeminent Italian design factory. With so many beautiful objects to choose from, we have focused our collection on some of our favourite architects’ design collaborations.

JEAN NOUVEL

In 2003, Alberto Alessi invited 22 architects to design an individual tea and coffee service for Alessi, in order to unify an international group of architects under a single Italian design project.  Of these 22 designs, French architect Jean Nouvel’s (winner of the 2008 Pritzker architecture prize) contribution is a stand out.  It is one of the most elegant contemporary coffee service sets we’ve ever seen. The cylindrical form, inspired by the 1960′s is given an updated feel by the detail of a small indentation for your thumb, as well as a double wall for added insulation.

Jean Nouvel’s tea and coffee service is available as a set, and each component can also be purchased separately. Each piece is composed of 18/10 stainless steel.

PRICES:

Double wall pitcher $225
16.5″ round tray $166
Set of 4 coffee spoons $50
Set of 2 mocha cups with saucers $142
Sugar bowl $60

ZAHA HADID

The Crevasse vase by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid is a true reflection of her asymmetrical aesthetic. Two vases are cut from a single block, and scored along two diagonal lines, creating a warped, inverted surface. They can be assembled together in alternative configurations, creating solid forms, or they can stand alone as distinct objects. The playful nature of the set means that the configurations can be altered to make a variety of different shapes, and the user can build a family of objects, like an endlessly mutating jigsaw puzzle.

PRICE: $391

PETER ZUMTHOR

Swiss architect Peter Zumthor is the king of clean, world-renowned for his perfectly detailed, pared down projects. His concern is for the tactile quality and integrity of  materials, exemplified in his Thermal baths at Vals and the St. Benedict Chapel. It is no surprise that his design for Alessi is one of the most simple and minimalist objects: a candlestick made from a single piece of turn cast aluminum.

PRICES:

Table candlestick 9″: $105

Floor candlestick 35.5″: $234.00