edra partners with casa italia for paris 2024 olympics with ensemble

Edra as the Official Partner of Casa Italia for paris 2024 olympics

The occasion of the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris from 26 July to 11 August, 2024, reconfirms the partnership of Casa Italia and Edra which, once again, furnishes the spaces that welcome the Paris 2024 Olympic athletes and guests to Le Pré Catelan, the 19th century pavilion in Napoleon III-style, immersed in the atmospheric Bois de Boulogne. This historic venue, chosen by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), hosts the Team Italia athletes and their guests, transforming the site into an exhibition titled Ensemble. With Edra’s collections of chairs, sofas, tables, and armchairs, the hospitality concept marks the first time that Casa Italia has invited the public to explore a comprehensive display of art, architecture, and design, creating a total work of art that embodies the spirit of the Olympics.

for Paris 2024, Casa Italia transforms Le Pré Catelan into a scenic emotional journey with Edra as the furnishing partner | all images © Pietro Savorelli, courtesy of Edra

ENSEMBLE bridges modern cultural identity in france & italy

Ensemble evokes harmony and unity, drawing inspiration from music and fashion—pillars of modern cultural identity in both France and Italy. The 2024 theme carries extra significance as the Olympics return to Europe after twelve years, paving the way for Italy’s upcoming role as host of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games. Developed by Lorenzo Pellicelli, Direction Marketing CONI, and Beatrice Bertini, with the architectural project by IT’s architectural firm, exhibition Ensemble focuses on connections between the new and existing, expressed through the concepts of weaving and environmental sustainability, with furnishings designed to last over time.

Especially for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Casa Italia, established by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), collaborated with Edra, a Tuscan sofa and furnishing company founded in 1987 by Valerio and Monica Mazzei. Since the 2016 Rio Olympics, Edra has been a key partner of Casa Italia, providing furniture that enhances the artistic and cultural themes of each project. Edra’s designs, known for their bold aesthetics and high functionality, contribute to the overall ambiance of the hospitality project, reflecting the excellence and creativity of Italian design. The collaboration between the two brands reflects the evolution of Casa Italia from a Hospitality House to a globally recognized brand that tells the story of Italian culture and excellence.

the Ensemble project features a variety of tree species and works by artists and authors that express Italian creativity, identity, and excellence

casa italia & edra exemplify italian design at Le Pré Catelan

For Paris 2024, Casa Italia transforms Le Pré Catelan into a scenic and emotional journey, incorporating elements such as various tree species and artworks that highlight Italian creativity and excellence. The pavilion’s rooms, illuminated by numerous windows, and the surrounding gardens are being transformed into a ‘total work’ where furnishings, light, nature, art, and architecture engage in dialogue. These spaces are complemented by creations from 32 internationally renowned designers and 11 companies that exemplify Italian design excellence, including Francesco Binfaré, Fernando and Humberto Campana, and Masanori Umeda for Edra, alongside other notable designers such as Mario Bellini, Patricia Urquiola, and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

Edra, the Tuscan sofa and furnishing company, has been collaborating with Casa Italia since the 2016 Olympics

Edra’s indoor and outdoor collections of sofas, chairs, tables, armchairs, and storage elements decorate spaces ranging from interview and conference rooms to restaurants, lounges, galleries, and gardens. Specifically, Francesco Binfaré’s On the Rocks sofa in the athletes’ restaurant creates an indoor landscape that is fluid and natural, reinforcing the aim to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor settings. The designer’s Standard sofa, in its outdoor version, adds comfort to the garden of Le Pré Catelan’s Michelin-starred restaurant. These products highlight Casa Italia’s focus on enhancing comfort, functionality, and visitor experience, ensuring that everyone feels at home.

‘In sport we recognize the strong values that have inspired our company for more than thirty years. In the first place passion, but also the daily discipline of doing our work, and the ability to dare. That is why Edra and its collection will testify again this year to excellence that comes from a desire to always push ourselves forward, in healthy global competition,’ says Edra’s co-founder, Monica Mazzei.

‘in sport we recognize the strong values that have inspired our company for more than thirty years,’ says Edra’s co-founder, Monica Mazzei.

The athletes’ lounge suggests the theme of ‘sky in a room’ as a metaphor for the feats and achievements of athletes, housing the Cipria soft sofa by the Campana brothers in the cloud white version. Meanwhile, the Gallery houses Sherazade placed beneath Tappeto Volante, a work created by the Stalker group with Rome’s community of Kurdish exiles. Sherazade, by Francesco Binfaré, was actually inspired by the designer’s travels in the East and acts as a counterpoint to the work made up of 41,472 hemp cords and copper finials that recreates three dimensional muqarnas in the ceiling of Palermo’s Palatine Chapel, symbol of the thousand-year- old culture of welcome tying together Greek, Latin, Arabic and Norman cultures.

the Standard sofa by Francesco Binfaré

Sherazade by Francesco Binfaré beneath the Tapetto Volante by the Stalker Group

the Standard sofa by Francesco Binfaré, in the outdoor version

Edra furnishes the Le Pré Catelan spaces with its indoor and outdoor collections of sofas, chairs, tables, armchairs and storage elements (Standard sofa by Francesco Binfaré)

the athlete lounge suggests the theme of “sky in a room” housing the Cipria soft sofa by the Campana brothers in the cloud white version

the On the Rocks sofa by Francesco Binfaré in the athletes’ restaurant

the play of cross referencing indoors and out confirms Casa Italia’s desire to enhance the value of comfort, functionality and the experience of its visitors