An alternative to the Bialetti: the new products from Alessi
4.7.2024
Translation: machine translated
Alessi presented an exhibition designed by PlayLab, Inc. from Los Angeles at this year's Milan Design Week. This celebrated the power of imagination and showcased, among other things, a redesign of its iconic "Moka" espresso machine.
The poetic installation "Myth Makes Belief" by Alessi in the courtyard of Palazzo Borromeo D'Adda stayed in my head for a long time after Milan Design Week. It symbolised Alessi's creative power and combined mythological, medieval and neoclassical elements. For example, a huge dragon egg, about to hatch, was reminiscent of a legend from Piedmont: a dragon oppressed the area around Lake Orta until the knight San Giulio defeated it and found a large egg in the lake, which was considered a dragon egg.
In Milan, the giant egg was not surrounded by a lake, but by a fountain and exhibition showcases. The showcases featured recently introduced Alessi works by designers Michael Anastassiades, Naoto Fukasawa, artist Samiro Yunoki and design studio Nendo. Each piece impressed with an unusual detail for the tried and tested.
Source: Pia Seidel
Hatched fresh from the egg: The mocha pot "Menhir"
The "Menhir" coffee pot redesign by Cypriot-British designer Michael Anastassiades impresses with its clear lines and a handle that appears cut off depending on the perspective, further emphasising the angular shape. The name "Menhir" evokes associations with symbolic stone blocks from the Neolithic period, which were placed in the landscape and presumably used for religious ceremonies or rituals. However, this block is used for a modern ritual: making coffee.
Source: Pia Seidel
Aesthetic spout: The "Toru" tea maker
The interpretation of a tea kettle by design studio Nendo transforms the tubular handle into a spout that playfully runs through the steel housing.
Abstract art: the "Itsumo Yunoki Ware" crockery set
The dinner service "Itsumo Yunoki Ware" by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa also scores with playfulness. It was designed with simple, abstract shapes. This minimalist aesthetic is intended to emphasise the attention to detail and poetry of Japanese culture.
Soft edges: Crystal glass service "Eugenia"
"Eugenia" is a crystal glassware set that, like Naoto Fukasawa's dinner service, focuses on minimalism. It includes glasses, a carafe and a decanter. The name refers to Alberto Alessi's winery, whose bottles are inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. Fukasawa developed the set based on the shape of the bottle, characterised by an obtuse-angled line, known as "donkaku" in Japanese.
Header image: Pia Seidel
Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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