pedrali grows with exotic guinea & film-inspired lamorisse wood armchairs by CMP design

designboom talks with CMP design for pedrali

Tropical West African inspirations and influences from an award-winning French filmmaker enter and evolve the world of Pedrali as CMP Design introduces their Guinea and Lamorisse wood armchairs. During Salone del Mobile 2023, designboom had the opportunity to interview the three Italian designers and learn everything about the products. Outdoors or in, in aluminum or wood, the timeless style that characterizes the furniture company remains uncompromised.

(above) CMP Design’s Lamorisse Wood for Pedrali | art direction Studio FM; photo by Andrea Garuti; styling Studio Salaris

(banner) CMP Design’s Guinea for Pedrali seen outdoors | art direction Studio FM; photo by Andrea Garuti; styling Studio Salaris

all images courtesy of Pedrali

Pedrali’s collaboration with CMP Design began in 2012. With a trait for materialization of visual connections between objects of the past, popular culture and natural elements, Michele Cazzaniga, Simone Mandelli, and Antonio Pagliarulo continue to grow with the Italian furniture brand. From wooden frames to bringing back traditional steel-making techniques, the partnership reveals a two-way inspiration journey. In 2023, Guinea and Lamorisse wood join Pedrali’s family as they bring with them sustainable, embracing comfort.

‘We feel like we grew a lot with Pedrali, and even more so with bringing back traditional metal-working techniques. Every year we challenge ourselves – sometimes it’s the company that challenges us, sometimes we find a new inspiration,’ begins Michele Cazzaniga, co-founder and member of CMP Design.

‘If you take a look into our story with Pedrali, you can immediately see that our work with materials continues to evolve. We change our curves and lines to adapt to the company’s technology, the space and the user,’ continues co-founder and member, Antonio Pagliarulo.

‘We don’t believe the design process ends when the product is sold. From our perspective, the design process continues. We follow the project all over the world and see how it ages, how it behaves depending on each space and usage, and we continuously try to improve that,’ adds Simone Mandelli, co-founder and third member.

Guinea in its textilene backrest version dressed with cushions | art direction Studio FM; photo by Andrea Garuti; styling Studio Salaris

LIGHTS, CAMERA, action: Lamorisse WOOD

CMP Design’s passion for the movies and the arts comes through in each one of their products. With its name taken directly from the award-winning French filmmaker, Lamorisse Wood takes center stage. Elevated from its 2022 aluminum outdoor version to a wooden structure, the director-inspired armchair springs from the desire to offer the same level of comfort indoors and to provide a complete collection of seats that can be used in spaces characterized by continuity, whether on the deck or the living room.

Lamorisse Wood with a yellow cushion | art direction Studio FM; photo by Andrea Garuti; styling Studio Salaris

The main feature of this armchair is the contrast between the sober shape of the supporting structure and the use of a large and enveloping cushion. In seamless lines, its ash frame follows the oval shaped legs that blend with rounded steam-curved armrests and increase slightly in thickness near the joints for added strength. The embracing cushion delicately hides the thin metal frame that supports the seat, under which elastic belts and non-deformable polyurethane foam guarantee a high level of comfort. Additionally, as flexibility is key for timeless design, the lining of the wrap-around backrest is removable and joined to the seat by means of a zip while a hard leather strap secures the backrest to the frame.

‘By adapting the frame, we have two great products with great performances for different spaces. Wood adds the warm natural touch and the lightness, while aluminum resists the weather conditions,’ says Michele.

close-up of Lamorisse Wood

Lamorisse Wood is made using 100% certified FSC® C114358 wood and finished with water-based coatings composed mostly of plant-derived resins. The use of raw materials sourced from responsibly managed forests and of these organic coatings guarantee Pedrali’s commitment to environmental sustainability. The armchair’s different elements may easily be disassembled for recycling purposes or to replace its components.

‘We thought Lamorisse could be warmer, more adapted for the indoors, which meant developing it in wood. This idea came as soon as Pedrali optimized the aluminum version – it was a natural evolution,’ continues Michele. ‘It was more a matter of sustainable design. We now use the same shape that we’re using for the aluminum outdoors version. It’s a process that we love to do: to use the same parts and tooling to develop the family of products sustainably,’ adds Antonio.

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Lamorisse in Pedrali’s Salone del Mobile 2023 booth | photo by Ottavio Tomasini, project by DWA Design Studio

guinea: a tropical allure

Away from the cinema and out in nature; just by calling its name, Guinea brings a tropical destination in mind. CMP Design introduces the armchair as an outdoors product that evokes exotic references from Panama’s Guinea province, the country in West Africa, and the world’s second-largest island in Australia; all three locations surrounded by oceans, forests, rainfall and wildlife.

‘All the exotic references make us think that Guinea can be placed anywhere, from the ocean to the forest and its downpouring tropical rains – and it will still resist the weather as it is made of aluminum. Guinea is a cool name!’ continues Antonio.

Guinea’s backrest may be upholstered in fabric | art direction Studio FM; photo by Andrea Garuti; styling Studio Salaris

The concept of lightness and transparency is evoked with the armchair’s iconic structure and allure. The aluminum furniture piece is distinguished by its teak armrests, which fit into the metallic frame introducing a vivid, tactile detail that goes from warm to cold. Welded together, the embracing aluminum frame is combined with a seat in waterproof textilene on which rests a soft, removable cushion.

‘Creating Guinea went a long way. We wanted to use teak for the whole product, but teak wood is very rare. For this reason we decided to reduce the amount and use it only for the armrests, the only part that is in contact with the hand, which are always a preferred choice compared to a metallic surface when outdoors. But we still wanted the aesthetic to resemble that of a traditional wooden chair, thus the thicker, bolder frame,’ explains Antonio.

Guinea in its textilene backrest version at Pedrali’s 2023 Salone del Mobile booth | photo by Ottavio Tomasini, project by DWA Design Studio

The Guinea backrest can be customized in various configurations. The version with a textilene backrest is reminiscent of the traditional movie director’s chairs, with an enhanced sense of visual lightness, while the version with the backrest in aluminum slats features more traditional, archetypical forms. To enhance comfort as well as versatility, the backrest may also be upholstered in fabric. More importantly, its armrests, seat and backrest are assembled mechanically, making them easy to disassemble for recycling purposes or to replace its components.

‘We developed two frames for Guinea, the one with the two aluminum slats on the backrest and the one with the textilene. We exploited and adapted the same design to create different opportunities for performance. In places where they need a more resistant version, mainly in public areas, the one with the aluminum back is preferable. In a more private setting, or even a boat or a place close to the seaside where the user also wants to be shirtless, the textilene edition is better-suited. There’s also the version where the chair is almost entirely covered in fabric,’ describes Michele.

Guinea is developed in two versions: textilene and the two-slat aluminum backrest

the stackable quality of Guinea offers flexibility for space-saving both in commercial and private environments

cmp design’s sustainability path with pedrali

Both armchairs speak timelessness regarding design, use and sustainability. With the stackable quality of Guinea and the disassembling opportunities and recycling of Lamorisse Wood, CMP Design ensures to follow Pedrali’s commitment to environmental ecology.

‘Creating something that is timeless means using it over a great span of time, and can be repaired as well be passed on in the family. The longer the timeline of a product, the more sustainable it is. There are kinds of aesthetics that don’t even fall in the vintage category, because they can decorate any kind of space, and this is our goal, and it should be the goal of every designer,’ says Michele. ‘Also, we try not to use excess material in our projects, whether natural or not. This helps us optimize both the visual aspect and the structure, concludes Simone.

close-up of Guinea’s textilene backrest