reza aliabadi stacks iconic casigliani kyoto dish set into 100 architectural towers

100 kyoto towers crafted from stackable ceramics

Expanding his ongoing RZLBD 100 Series, Toronto-based architect Reza Aliabadi unveils Kyoto Towers. This project pays homage to the timeless design of the Casigliani Kyoto dish set, originally created by the design duo Massimo and Lella Vignelli for Casigliani in 1979. During his residency at the Vignelli Center for Design Studies, the architect sought to capture the essence of the classic stackable dinnerware set and translate it into a metaphorical architectural tower. With Kyoto Towers, RZLBD infuses the spirit of the Vignellis’ iconic terracotta red design into architectural form, with the towers fusing simplicity, functionality, and timeless aesthetics as they echo the essence of the stackable dinnerware.

reza aliabadi encapsulates essence of Casigliani Kyoto dish set

The core idea behind the Casigliani Kyoto dish set was to simplify the process of collecting used plates after a meal. By designing the melamine dinnerware to be stackable, the Vignellis set forth a transformation in the dining experience. With Kyoto Towers, Reza Aliabadi embraces this very concept, paying tribute to the Vignellis’ original vision. By stacking plates one on top of the other over one hundred times, the Toronto-based architect forms a harmonious tower.

RZLBD 100 is an ongoing project at Atelier RZLBD that explores the realms of serial works, taxonomy, typology, and iteration, all while adhering to a set of rules and core beliefs. This creative endeavor aims to expand possibilities and search for the most optimal solutions within the framework of defined principles. 

‘This has been an old tradition among many artists and architects to investigate the creative potential of defined rules to articulate a body of work with coherence,’ notes Aliabadi.

project info:

name: 100 Kyoto Towers
designer: RZLBD | Reza Aliabadi

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