Over the course of more than nine decades, storied Italian design house Pininfarina has kept its audiences captivated, without missing a beat. Its foundation rooted in automotive excellence, the pioneer has magnetically metamorphosed and shaken up the world of interior and domestic design through its fluidity and inventiveness.
Mentioned in this article
Pininfarinapro
Mentioned in this article
Pininfarinapro
In an evergreen sea of interior creations that have stood the test of time, Battista “Pinin” Farina’s faithful words that “above all, it must be beautiful” ceaselessly reverberate and simultaneously string them all together. Unparalleled technique, pure elegance, functionality, and the courageous act of humanizing innovation can be identified as the key ingredients that power and sustain iconic Italian design house Pininfarina’s renowned approach to furniture and domestic design.
Much like its founder’s profound vision of composing luxury and grand luxury automobiles that echo the intricacies of haute couture dresses, Pininfarina’s ever-expanding portfolio of interior pieces all portray the idea of a meticulously crafted silhouette in motion–potent enough to stylishly enrich and tactfully elevate one’s quotidian rhythm with ease.
What lies at the core is Pininfarina‘s commitment to human-centered furniture design–a philosophy deeply linked with the belief that innovation and intuition can and should go together, and how innovation and technology should serve to enhance the human experience at the right tempo. But there’s also the aspect of creating products that foster an identity of multiplicities. Within the ferocity and the vigor, traces of softness and sensitivity can be detected and are bound to just as masterfully spellbind.
Teh Orbital table stands out in Pininfarina’s timeline-in-the-making and made a comeback in celebration of Calligaris’ 100th anniversary in 2023 – ©Pininfarina
Indicative of how an object can indeed contain multitudes, Pininfarina displays its exceptional ability to combine avant-garde aesthetics with cutting-edge technology with its 2011 design of the extending table for Calligaris, a leader in the home design market. The Calligaris Orbital Table features a technologically advanced for its time automatic extension system that allows it to effortlessly open via a fluid circular motion. Thanks to the employed formula of premium materials and its playful composition, the 2012 Interior Innovation Award Winner stands out in Pininfarina’s timeline-in-the-making and made a comeback in celebration of Calligaris’ 100th anniversary in 2023.
Paolo Trevisan, current Head of Design in America, joined Pininfarina in the late 1990s and has overseen a great many furniture concepts along the way, contributing to one of the most experimental and trailblazing periods in Pininfarina’s history. Naturally, highlighting certain products “feels like picking my favorite child” but he shares that “some products have become stronger with time for different reasons and the Calligaris Orbital Table is definitely one of my favorites. It has such a beautiful system of opening–like a flower.”
The Calligaris Orbital Table’s extra-transparent glass allows you to truly appreciate its exceptional internality – ©Pininfarina
Thanks to a single fluid movement of the metal arms, the two extensions come out from under the ceramic top and level all at once, maintaining the elliptical shape: the circular motion resembles “orbiting.” When folded, the table measures 1.65 meters while when extended, it becomes a 2.55 meter-long dining table that can accommodate up to ten people. With its fusion between clean minimalism and unmatched mechanical allure, the Calligaris Orbital Table’s extra-transparent glass allows you to truly appreciate its exceptional internality.
Unveiled at Eurocucina in 2016, the Aria Kitchen designed by Pininfarina for Friuli-based industry leader and long-time collaborator Snaidero is another testament to the Italian design house’s innovative spirit and creative stamina. Its vitality futuristic and its identity approachably sophisticated, the inspiration behind the kitchen concept lies in the observation of the natural world with its workspace resembling the profile of a wing–its outstretched, zestful lines signifying future horizons.
The inspiration behind the Aria kitchen concept lies in the observation of the natural world – ©Pininfarina
A synergy between architecture and furniture design, Aria’s body is planted in the lower part of the central nucleus to support it and then pushes upwards to house the lower support surface and shelves. It then continues parallel to the work surface and ends in a source of light, symbolic of an illuminating sun. Made from polycarbonate, the ring of the lamp features a low-energy consumption LED lighting system capable of regulating both the intensity of the light and its temperature according to one’s needs. A first of its kind upon launch, the cabinets’ special Polysil coating is made using nano-molecules. Smooth and velvety cold upon touch, the cabinets are also resistant to scratches, grime, and fingerprints.
Also incorporated within Aria, the Invisible Line patent is a special quartz process that allows the creation of a large countertop without visible joints. And yet, the Aria is characterized by its harmonious skeleton as it conveys the right balance between gadgetry and genuineness. As Trevisan points out, “Technology is like a medicine. You take it when you need it. What lies at the heart of every design, no matter the product category is our desire to craft products you create a human relationship with.”
Made from polycarbonate, the ring of the lamp features a low-energy consumption LED lighting system capable of regulating both the intensity of the light and its temperature according to one’s needs.
This guiding principle very much stems from Pininfarina’s identity. The company’s constant pursuit of finding better and different solutions–of weaving calculated and intentional concepts throughout all aspects of design–is nourished by curiosity. Nicola Girotti, Head of Product Design at Pininfarina, singles out the importance of continuous learning and describes how each team “learns something in one area and incorporates that knowledge in another one. Always through the Pininfarina eyes and style and always evolving through research.”
HiGold Onda by Pininfarina – Rooted in the way people live and move in space, Pininfarina’s interior design ethos is inextricably linked to the company’s motto, “We Move Dreams.”
Pininfarina’s long-term collaborations with prominent furniture brands such as Snaidero, Reflex, HiGold, and Riva1920 project Pininfarina’s open-mindedness and its ability to co-shape visceral stories. Each collaborative venture signifies a brand new chapter and depicts how those central values and means of creative expression are in a constant state of evolution. “When we collaborate, our secret is our ability to stay flexible. Mark out the need of the moment and build on top of it. And then together, we make the difference. It’s always one plus the other,” says Girotti.
Rooted in the way people live and move in space, Pininfarina’s interior design ethos is inextricably linked to the company’s motto, “We Move Dreams.” Mesmerized by it as much as he found himself unequivocally inspired, Trevisan recalls his initial interpretation of the motto as unsurprisingly turbulent: “It’s about looking forward and visualizing one’s future but it’s also about figuring out how to make it happen. Striking that balance between emotions and rationality.” If we dare to dream, dreams do tend to lift us up, but finding the right tools to help us get through the yellow brick road is just as crucial and can prove to be even more revelatory.
HiGold Onda by Pininfarina – Pininfarina has developed the skillset to convey emotion through physicality, light, shade, and material formulas.
As that evergreen sea keeps expanding and turns richer and richer in both color and spark, Pininfarina’s heartbeat–its unduplicatable rhythm of ascent–keeps us enamored with its signature touch. In the realm of interiors, Pininfarina has developed the skillset to convey emotion through physicality, light, shade, and material formulas. The brand’s vision for the future of its furniture design is defined by strength and distinctive dynamism, just as much as it is led by passion, with each piece setting the pace for moments to remember.
