The considered creative direction lent by Belgian architect and designer Vincent Van Duysen to Molteni & C Dada stands out in an industry often overly consumed with fuss and fanfare. Here, he discusses his latest work and what the future holds...
How do the pieces launched at this year’s Salone del Mobile represent the way you are taking the creative direction of Molteni & C Dada? It’s a new narrative that pays homage to lightness, etherealness and fluidity. It’s an answer to the global situation and aspires to create holistic wellness and organic playfulness.
Why is materiality at the core of all the pieces and projects you work on? I think the emotion in my work comes from my consideration for the materials used within a space. Organic materials are key to my work and to good architecture: raw elements that acquire a patina of timelessness, exquisiteness and warmth as they age, such as wood, textiles, concrete, stone.
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Why is the monomateric kitchen for Dada a fresh approach to kitchen design? This new version of ‘Intersection’ mixes two refined materials: marble and wood. Inspiration comes from architect Carlo Scarpa’s Querini Stampalia Palace in Venice, where marble, stone, ceramics, wood and metal fittings are used in a masterful way to create highly sophisticated environments.
The ‘Living Box’ storage unit offers consumers real flexibility in terms of materials, finish and dimension – do you think offering personalisation is a priority when designing spaces? In these changing times, the lines between different domestic spaces are more blurred and fluid. As a result, with ‘Living Box’, I wanted something dynamic and flexible that can be placed in the middle of the room as a very balanced volume characterised by stylistic and architectural shapes and elements.
Can you introduce us to your other new designs for 2022 – the new armchair, for instance? The new armchair, ‘Yoell’, was born out of the will to revisit a typology of chair utilised in the Latin world. ‘Yoell’ is modernist yet anchored in our time– it has a dynamism due to fluid, sensual forms and curvilinear lines. The user will feel protected, as if cuddled in a cosy cocoon.
What are the key issues affecting furniture design going forward? We need to take care of the world, to think more in terms of timeless structures and objects. I believe design is becoming more and more what it should be: focused on sustainability, craftsmanship and the use of high quality materials.
I think, in the future, we will see less of that typical ‘signature design’ with a very recognisable look associated with a particular designer, and instead more pieces that last. It will be more of a ‘slow design’ characterised by timeless pieces passed on from one generation to the next. molteni.it
